


Perchance to Dream

by LadyLindariel (Morwen80)



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 06:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15902436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morwen80/pseuds/LadyLindariel
Summary: Glorfindel takes on his biggest challenge yet...therapy. He's difficult, stubborn, impossible to work with, and his healer Calaerneth may just be the accidental reincarnation of his dead girlfriend. And you thought you had issues.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have always wanted to write a Glorfindel romance story but never knew where to begin or how to start. That is until I got together with the very talented author Raider-K, who took the time to sit with me and plan this story from start to finish. Without her, this story would not even be possible so a HUGE thank-you and hug goes out to one of my closest friends. You are awesome!

Healing Rule #22: Always be respectful of your patient's sense of privacy.

Calaerneth had just settled into her bath enjoying the way the steam curled off the water in wisps around her face. Letting out a long sigh, she began to reflect on her journey to Rivendell from Mithlond, glad to have the opportunity to learn from Lord Elrond.

Shaking her head to herself, she could not believe how she had just left her parents' home. Not even bothering to tell them where she went, all she did was leave a note saying that she needed to make a life for herself. Calaerneth had spent plenty of long nights deliberating over the decision, but ultimately she had to make this choice for herself alone.

Cal had been born into a respectable family. Her father Gaeron was a well renown shipbuilder who had been taught under Lord Círdan. Her mother Calithileth was a healer but had decided after she had married Gaeron that she would settle into the role of housewife and once her older brother Gelon was born, mother.

Cal frowned at the memory of her brother. Her perfect, can never do anything wrong, brother. Valar, she loved him, but he set a precedent in their family that was difficult to live up to. At a very young age, Gelon had shown extraordinary talent at healing. As he grew, he also was talented at learning new languages, carving, and even being irresistible to the ladies. And how could he not attract the ellyth with his long chocolate brown hair, grey eyes, and a dimple that made the ellith swoon when he smiled.

As Cal grew up, she tried to make her parents' proud. Even though she showed great talent in the arts of healing, her efforts never seemed to be enough to make her parents take notice. Even her tutor Nestor, who was one of the greatest healers in Mithlond, tried to encourage her parents to let her travel abroad and learn more under other healers, but they had refused.

When she had reached her majority, her father had told her she needed to start thinking about finding a husband, but Cal frowned at the thought of marrying. When she had not shown any signs of settling down her, father decided to promise her to her father's best friend's son Rodwen.

At this Calaerneth gagged. Rodwen. Even the very thought of him made her feel sick. She would have rather married an orc than that pompous, egotistical ellon...if he even was an elf. Sure, he was attractive, smart and the son of a Lord, but those qualities only seemed to add to his self-centeredness. Rodwen was more concerned about a world which revolved around him and his needs, rather than how he could help someone else.

When Cal had tried to explain that she could never marry someone as self-centered as Rodwen, her parents told her that sometimes you had to make sacrifices, even if it meant marrying someone you might not love at first. Cal had begged and pleaded with her father to end the betrothal discussions, but he would hear nothing of it. The two fathers had even set up a date near the end of summer where they would publicly announce their children's betrothal.

It was then that Cal had decided that she needed to leave. Frantic for a solution, her mind wandered to Nestor, her friend and mentor. Surely, he would know where she could go. He corresponded regularly with many healers who took on apprentices and perhaps he could write to one on her behalf. After much pleading on her part, Nestor had sent off several letters. When Lord Elrond replied expressing interest in taking on a healer who specialized in counseling, Cal packed her bags that very night.

* * *

The sound of the bathing room door opening and swinging shut brought Calaerneth back to the present. She lazily propped one eye open. In the entrance to the bathing room, stood an elf clad in nothing but a narrow strip of towel. Now both her eyes widened. He was tall, undeniably built in ways that spoke of years of training with weapons. His hair was the color of the morning sun on the sea...and she realized he was staring right back at her with a look of pure shock on his face.

She did what any reasonable lady caught in a bathtub unawares would do. She screamed.

He stumbled backwards at the sound of her startled yelp and let go of his towel causing it to fall completely from his waist.

Stumbling with his hands to reach for the towel, he turned the deepest shade of red. "Forgive me, I—"

"What are you doing in here? Get out!" she shouted, trying desperately to sink low enough into the water that he wouldn't be able to see anything.

Awkwardly grabbing his towel, the ellon ran from the room in complete humiliation, with both elves praying that this incident never got out.

Calaerneth sank down into the water, her cheeks burning. She was so embarrassed. Who was he? She hoped he was someone unimportant, someone she would hopefully never have to see again on a regular basis. Although…. she smiled to herself—he could easily rank as the most perfect specimen of Elf ever created. He was just...well, the sort of elf that dreams were made for. Sure, she did not know his name, but for now, he could be 'Golden Delicious.'

* * *

The next morning found Calaerneth up bright and early taking in the sights of Rivendell with eager eyes. Last night she and the others had arrived fairly late, much too late to take notice of how beautiful the Hidden Valley was. Perhaps since it was her first night in a real bed in quite some time, Cal had slept amazingly well, and if her dreams had included 'Golden Delicious'-well, that was her secret to keep.

She had met Lord Elrond only briefly last night when she arrived, and truth be told, was ecstatic about the possibility of learning from him. This moment right now was what she had always dreamed of-the opportunity to travel and learn and be exactly what she wanted to be. Calaerneth was ready to get started, and even though she had only just settled in, she was eager to see the Healing Ward. After stopping to ask directions a few times, Calaerneth found herself heading through a lovely courtyard across from the main house, where she knew Lord Elrond and his family resided, when she slowed down and then completely stopped in her tracks.

For heading across the lawn and up the stairs, two steps at a time, was a tall golden-haired elf dressed in what appeared to be some kind of light armor.

Calaerneth brought her hands up to her face to check if it had suddenly caught on fire. It might as well have, her cheeks felt so hot. It was him. Golden Delicious.

And by the looks of things, he wasn't just a random nobody. He was a somebody. Somebody that Lord Elrond was apparently very good friends with, if the way the Lord of Rivendell had come out onto the stairs to greet him was any indicator.

Calaerneth sank down onto the closest bench. Her time at Rivendell had just become immeasurably more complicated...and awkward.

And here she was hoping to have left all the awkward at home behind her. But no, despite her objections, it had followed her right to Rivendell.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Rule #14: It is the healer's duty to recognize when a patient needs help, even if that patient may be in denial.

Glorfindel took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh spring air. Despite the abysmal amount of sleep he had last night, he was in a fairly good mood. Of course, Glorfindel generally was always in a good mood, especially after a good workout, and today was no different.

The golden-haired warrior had just finished training new recruits and was on his way to deliver his report to Lord Elrond before they enjoyed brunch. The two of them had formed a habit of spending time together at least twice a month. As he made his way to the Last Homely House, he would stop every so often to survey the scenery around him. Despite living here for thousands of years, the beauty that appeared every spring never ceased to amaze him.

All around him, the grass grew greener, the birds sang their morning tunes, and the apple orchards blossomed. Smiling to himself, he continued to his destination, this time pushing himself into a sprint. Finally, when he arrived, he took the stairs two at a time. Halfway up, he stopped as he caught sight of a lovely elleth sitting on one of the many elegant carved benches with her back turned. Pulled back in a tight braid, her long black hair glinted in the morning sun, and she wore a plain light blue dress that hung loosely.

Glorfindel's eyes raised at the sight, for rarely did he ever notice any ellith, much to Elrond's disapproval. The Lord of Rivendell thought that Glorfindel should be 'getting out there' as he put it. Glorfindel grimaced at the thought. Most of the maidens he encountered just never really interested him— oh, he had tried once or twice, but found his heart was not in it. And the fact that he was labeled a hero and a Balrog slayer only made matters worse, in his opinion. There were quite a few things on the list of topics that Glorfindel never wanted to discuss: Gondolin, Balrogs, his own death, Ecthelion, the Valar, marriage, and that was just the beginning.

Inevitably, every time he tried to be social, of course, those were the very things people wanted to hear stories about the most. Needless to say, Glorfindel did not relish spending time making small talk...but for her—his eyes flicked to the slight silhouette of the maiden on the bench—perhaps an exception could be made. Surely, Elrond would not mind waiting a few more minutes, would he? Glorfindel took a hesitant step down and then another before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Well met, my friend," Elrond said, embracing his longtime friend. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up."

Glorfindel laughed, his eyes glistening. "You know me, I love to make an entrance. Are you hungry?"

Elrond smiled and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "Always. Shall we then?"

"After you, my friend."

Elrond proceeded to lead the way to his study where they were going to be eating that morning. When they arrived and the two had situated themselves, Elrond started to chuckle.

"What is so funny?" Glorfindel asked raising one eye in a perfect imitation of Elrond.

Elrond took a sip of his wine before answering. "I hear you had an embarrassing moment at the bathhouse last night, Glorfindel."

Glorfindel groaned, covering his face with both hands. It was too much to hope that no one would have learned of the incident.

"What were you thinking?" Elrond asked incredulously.

Glorfindel huffed indignantly. "First, she was in the wrong house."

Elrond couldn't help but laugh. "It's still not like you to be caught off guard."

Glorfindel sighed, a weariness overcoming him. "I had another one of those dreams ..." he said, his voice softening as he stared off into the fire…

"...Every night I wake up, gasping for air, smelling smoke. It is pitch black, and I panic. In my dreams, everyone is gone or missing. Bodies cover the walk ways, the streets. Smoke thickens the air, and sulfur burns my eyes, my lungs...

...Desperately, I search for someone, but I don't know who." Glorfindel paused and swallowed softly, and stared at the fire on the hearth. "Not knowing is the hardest part, Elrond."

"There are gaps in my memory. I feel like I should remember, but I can't. As I search, I hear a voice calling my name, begging me to find them. I don't know who it is, nor can I see them. All I know is that I feel that my heart should burst should I lose them to the smoke and flame. Frantic, I wade through smoke and ash, only to hear the sharp crack and hiss of a whip as it lashes through the air...and my sword is in my hand, and I know what I have to do, what I need to do…"

Glorfindel stopped and met Elrond's eyes. "And I know I don't need to tell you what happens next."

Elrond looked sadly into his friend's blue eyes. His heart broke for him. How long had he been having these dreams? He knew that Glorfindel would never admit to needing help, nor would it ever occur to him to ask for it. To Glorfindel, asking for help was admitting a weakness.

"It's silly, isn't it?" Glorfindel said a few minutes later. "Me, having bad dreams like some elfling." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Glorfindel, there is nothing wrong with having dreams nor admitting you are afraid."

Glorfindel glanced away all of a sudden, wishing he was anywhere else but here. No longer feeling hungry he got to his feet. "Thank you for the food, but I must return to the training field."

Elrond watched his friend leave and shook his head sadly. "You need help, my friend."

When Glorfindel hurried down the steps, he could not help but notice that the lovely dark-haired maiden was no longer sitting on the bench or anywhere to be seen in the courtyard. He sighed. Just as well, he decided. He was hardly in the mood for conversation, much less to try his hand at a flirtation.

What he really needed was to spend time with the one person who, unlike Elrond, never judged, never prodded, never asked 'Are you sure you're feeling well, Glorfindel?' or any sort of prying questions; now to be fair, the person he had in mind DID ask his fair share of questions, no doubting that, but they were always the sort that Glorfindel welcomed wholeheartedly.

Glorfindel knew exactly where to look at this time of day, and he headed over to the stables where the horses would be out in the paddock for fresh air. Sure enough, his eyes caught sight a small figure pressed up against the fence, with both hands on the railings, as if he were trying to get a better look.

Smiling to himself, Glorfindel snuck up from behind and grabbed him. "Estel!" he said and laughed.

Estel shrieked as he felt himself being picked up. "Glorfy! You scared me."

Glorfindel set the young child down. "I am sorry Estel. Would it make you feel better if I let you feed Asfaloth an apple?"

Estel clapped his tiny hands together and jumped up and down excitedly. "Yes!"

Glorfindel took Estel by the hands and walked him over to the stable where Asfaloth was trotting. When Glorfindel whistled, Asfaloth made his way over to his owner neighing. The clever horse knew that whenever Glorfindel came to see him, he would always have sugar cubes or an apple for him to eat.

Glorfindel took a red apple from the nearby basket and gave it to the young child who reached over the railing standing on his tiptoes to try and reach the horse. Not quite able to reach, he sighed in frustration. "I can't reach Glorfy."

The golden-haired warrior picked Estel up and held him so he was able to reach Asfaloth and very carefully took the apple from the boy's hand. Estel giggled feeling the horse's tongue against his hand. "That tickles!"

Glorfindel couldn't help but chuckle. Oh, how he loved the innocence of small children. He could not help but begin to feel the weight of earlier conversation lift off his shoulders.

"Why did you name your horse Asfaloth, Glorfy?" Estel asked, looking up at him with wide eyes. "I heard the stable master say you always name your horses the same name. Why?"

Glorfindel pushed his hand through his hair. "A long time ago," he began slowly, searching for the right words. "I had a very brave horse named Asfaloth."

"Did you have him a long time?" Estel wanted to know.

Glorfindel ran his hand down the current Asfaloth's neck. Somehow, some way, everything always seemed to come back to Gondolin. Even with sweet, young Estel. Gondolin. A stall door to the stables slammed shut, and Glorfindel tensed, his hand unwittingly drifting to the hilt of his sword.

"Glorfy?" Estel prodded him in the arm.

Glorfindel let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "What?" he asked, looking down at Estel.

Estel tilted his head to the side in a perfect imitation of his foster-father. "I was asking about your  _old_  Asfaloth," he reminded Glorfindel. "Did you have him for a really long time?"

Not long enough, Glorfindel thought, but he didn't say that to Estel. Instead he ruffled the boy's hair and told him, "Yes, I did. He was a really good horse."

Estel nodded sagely. "And it's maybe the best horse name ever," he agreed. "When I'm older, I'm going to have me an Asfaloth too."

Now Glorfindel smiled. "Come on," he said. "No use standing here behind the fence. Let us get some riding practice in before dinner."

"On Asfaloth?" Estel's eyes lit up.

"He would be honored," Glorfindel assured the boy as he lifted him over the fence, putting his dark memories to rest for the time being. It was a beautiful spring day, with the sun on his back and Estel's laughter in his ears, and the hours were much too short to dwell on a past that he could not change, no matter how much he may have wished.

* * *

_Those eyes. Eyes wreathed with fire and flame, and Glorfindel knew he was going to die. The city was in ashes, his life was in ashes, and here was an enemy that he knew was beyond him in every conceivable way. Still, he gripped his sword and waited. And when the demon turned and cracked his long-wicked whip, Glorfindel charged, feeling the wave of heat as he met his foe and the fiery lash snapped across him—_

Glorfindel threw the coverlet off his bed and shakily found the floor with his feet. In less than half the time it took him to stand up, he pulled on a robe and left his bedroom for his living room and then decided to leave his suite of rooms altogether. Perhaps some fresh night air and seeing the stars would help to clear his mind.

Glorfindel charged through the garden not even paying attention to where he was going. He didn't even care. All he wanted was to get away and clear his mind. Taking a corner at full speed he collided full force into someone practically bowling them over.

A maiden with a long dark braid brushed the dirt off her nightgown and stood to her feet, a look of disgust on her face. "Why don't you watch where... Oh, it's  _you."_ She looked as if she was about to give him a serious set down when her eyes softened. "Is everything alright? You look terrible."

"You are just like all the rest of them," Glorfindel snarled. It was true! Even in the middle of the night, he couldn't get away from nosy people. He narrowed his eyes at her, not seeing the pretty maiden he had admired only hours ago, not seeing anything, save his own dark memories of smoke and ash. He drew himself up into an impressive height as he scowled in her direction. "My business is my own," he told her, and not even bothering to wait for a response, he turned and stormed off.


	3. Chapter 3

Rule #6: Always look for opportunities to connect with your patients.

Calaerneth sighed as she finished unpacking the last of her belongings. She had only just arrived at Rivendell, and already she felt that she had made a mess of things. Although to be fair, she decided, it was mostly Golden Delicious' fault! Not only had he nearly ran over her in the gardens last night, but he also snapped at her like she was some sort of common intruder. Really, he had been beyond rude. His behavior was a far cry from when he had walked in on her in the bathhouse; then he seemed generally nice, shy even! But last night? Not even close. He seemed just the opposite. In fact, Calaerneth almost would have thought him someone else, had she not recognized him. There was no mistaking Golden Delicious; even with a full set of clothing.

"Well hopefully, I will not have to see him any time soon," she told the mirror as she took one last look at herself before she left to visit Master Elrond in the healing ward. Today would be her first official day of training and she wanted to look her best. Satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and headed down the hall.

Cal was halfway to her destination when she had bumped into a small curly haired boy. "Well, excuse me there, young one! I did not see you," she said as she caught the boy to keep him from falling over.

The young boy's eyes went wide at the sight of a stranger. "Hello, my name is Estel. Who are you? I have not seen you before."

Cal laughed. This child did not seem to be afraid of anything. "Hello, Estel, it is nice to meet you. My name is Calaerneth, but you may call me Cal. I am new here. Do you live here?"

Estel narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "My father told me to be careful and not talk too much to strangers."

"Did he now?" Cal asked. "Well, your father is very wise. My parents gave me the same advice."

"Who are your parents, and where do they live?" he said, his curiosity starting to get the best of him.

Cal remembered back to her home, all the green trees, the fishing harbor, the tall marble buildings. "My parents are Gaeron and Calithileth. They live in Mithlond, which is where I came from," Calaerneth told him.

At that he forgot all about Cal being a stranger. "Mithlond? My ada told me that is where all the big ships are!"

"Yes, he is right. My father is a ship builder and helped Lord Círdan make many of the ships. Perhaps one day I can tell you a story about my home."

Estel clasped his hands together and appraised her shrewdly. "A story? What kind of a story?"

"Oh, you know…" she tried to be nonchalant, "an adventure story on the open seas with a hero who is brave and fearless."

"And corsairs? Could there be some of those in the story?" Estel hedged.

Cal giggled. She was really beginning to like this little boy very much. "Oh, it wouldn't be a very good story without corsairs, now would it? But for now, I must get to the healing ward to meet with Lord Elrond."

The young boy gasped. "Lord Elrond is my ada. You will like him very much. He is so nice. When you get there, tell him I said hello." With that, Estel waved goodbye and scampered off down the halls.

Waving back, Calaerneth watched him leave. She had no idea that Lord Elrond had a young son. Shrugging, she made her way to the healing ward with no further distractions.

When she arrived, Calaerneth saw Lord Elrond busily jotting something down on a sheet of paper. Sensing that someone had entered, he set the quill down and smiled when he saw her in the doorway. "Hello, Calaerneth. I trust you did not have troubles finding your way here? Imladris can be confusing to new arrivals."

Cal returned his smile. She liked Elrond already. He seemed like the type of elf who would welcome anyone to his home, but she could also sense that he could be very stern. She made a mental note not to make him cross. "No, my lord. I am sorry if I am late though. I ran into your young son Estel. He told me to tell you hello."

Elrond laughed. "Ah, so I see you met my young foster son. He is a delightful child, is he not? Full of life and energy. But be careful, he also takes after his older brothers and can be quite the prankster. So, tell me Calaerneth…"

"Please, you can call me Cal, everyone does."

Elrond nodded. "So, tell me Cal, I hear from Lord Nestor that you are quite the healer. I won't trouble you with every detail from his letter, but he spoke very fondly of you. He believed you to be quite gifted."

Cal blushed. "I do not know if I am gifted, but I can learn fast enough, and I have a passion for helping people."

"I am glad you feel that way," Elrond told her. "A healer must always have compassion for their patients." His voice softened. "In his letter, Nestor mentioned that you needed a place to have a new start."

Cal looked down for a minute before she answered. "Yes, I…"

Elrond's eyes were warm as they met hers. "Cal," he said. "You need not say anything. Nestor has long been a trustworthy ellon. I knew him when he was but a child. His recommendation is all I need, and I sincerely hope Imladris can be a new beginning for you."

Cal smiled and bowed her head. "You are very gracious, my lord. I hope I do not let you down. I promise I will work very hard."

"I am sure you will do just fine," the elf lord assured her and then gestured to the work area. "Now, to start with, I want you to work by my side and watch me. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask." He turned away for a moment and picked up a leather-bound book and handed it to her. The corners of his mouth turned up as he watched her flip through the first few pages. "I want you to study this book in your free time."

Calaerneth lightly traced her finger over the embossed title on the cover. " _The Healing Handbook_?" she asked.

"It's a collection of notes I took when I studied under my mentor. You know, tips, advice, instructions, recipes…" Elrond's voice trailed away as he looked fondly at the book resting in Cal's hands. "I am sure it will be an invaluable help to you."

Cal's eyes lit up as she thumbed through the pages. "Thank you, Lord Elrond. I will make sure I put this to great use."

Elrond was about to respond when the door burst open. Two Elven guards carried in a seriously injured patrol guard, delirious and mumbling, his skin clammy and pale. Elrond leapt from his chair and rushed over to the guards.

"What happened?" he asked, helping them to lay the elf on the nearest bed. Meanwhile, Cal stepped back, pressing herself against wall, and watched as Lord Elrond's hands flew to gather supplies, all the while assessing his patient as he did so.

One of the other guards spoke first, his voice creased with grief...and anger: "We were keeping our routine patrols on the southern border when we were ambushed. We barely had time to respond. Morfindir saw an orc aiming his bow at Faeron and foolishly…" his eyes drifted to Morfindir, lying still and feverish on the bed… "nay, bravely jumped in front of the arrow. Fortunately, we were able to dispatch the enemy, and we suffered no other casualties. We rushed him here as quickly as we could."

Lifting the already dark cloth from the wound, Elrond grimaced. The other Elves had managed to remove the arrow head, and from what he could see, it had not punctured any arteries, but the tip was poisoned, spreading, and from his experience, the poisons generally were worse than the actual wound itself.

"Cal, please I need your help here," Elrond said, motioning for Calaerneth to join him.

Cal quickly but timidly met Elrond at the side of the patient's bed. A wound of this caliber was beyond her skillset. Healing a poisoned arrow wound was a far different level of ability than dressing abrasions and compounding healing tinctures with Nestor. But despite her limited healing experience, she would lend her aid as much as possible. After all, leaving her family behind, travelling to different lands to practice the art of healing was what she dreamed of her whole life.

"What would you like me to do, my lord?" she said, still not taking her eyes off the dark-haired elf was lying half-conscious on the bed.

"Have you ever had experience with dealing with poisoned wounds before?" he asked.

Cal nodded. "A few times, yes..." her voice trailed away. Sure, if you considered experience helping Nestor and watching him skillfully handle each procedure.

Elrond thought for a few seconds before he made his mind up. "I want you to treat Morfindir. Now is the time to demonstrate your ability as a healer. Do not worry. I will be right here and if need be, I will take over."

Cal swallowed thickly, her heart racing. Lord Elrond wanted her to treat a patient right now? Knowing that time was of the essence, Cal nervously went to work. "I need a knife so I can remove his tunic easily."

Quickly pulling a knife from the table, Lord Elrond handed it to Cal, never taking his eyes off her. She was clearly nervous, but if he was to see how well she worked under pressure, then now was a good time.

As she worked to save her patient, this young brave warrior, Cal could feel the expectant stares from every other elf in the room. Cutting his tunic off, she nearly gagged at the smell seeping from this elf's wound. Calaerneth could tell the poison had not spread far, but still the vile substance took its toll on him, for his temperature rose steadily. His breathing grew labored, heavy. Pulling herself together, she glanced at Elrond who monitored her progress. "I need athelas and some hot water mixed with yellow vine, red lavender and hazel weed to draw out the poison, and peppermint to bring down the fever."

Impressed with what he saw, Elrond hurried over to his cabinet and fetched the necessary items. Crushing the herbs, he mixed them in a bowl with hot water and handed her a rag. In very little time, she had known exactly what herbs to use and had quickly regained her composure. It seemed that Nestor had trained her well.

Thanking Elrond, Cal went straight to work cleansing the wound with the mixed herbs. The mixture of three compounded plants would help in detoxifying the venom, and the athelas would stop the poison from spreading further. She carefully mixed some peppermint and somehow managed to get the young elf to drink it. Afterwards, Calaerneth bandaged his injury as gently as possible.

She had barely turned from his bedside to set down her bowl and rag, when a low guttural groan sounded behind her. Morfindir's back arched, his hands groping blindly in the air, clawing the bed sheets.

And then he began to scream.

His horrible, wracking cry shattered the stillness of the healing ward as he strained against the bed like something pursued him. Lord Elrond attempted to intervene, but Cal bravely met his eyes. "My lord, if I may?

Elrond's hands stilled over Morfindir's shoulder as he deliberated, but then he stood to the side and nodded. Calmly, Calaerneth placed her hands on Morfindir's chest and spoke softly to him. "Tis alright, Morfindir, you are safe. No one is going to hurt you anymore."

The young warrior thrashed against the bed again, the other guards flying to his side next to Lord Elrond to help hold him down, and Cal's hands shook as she placed them against his forehead, her heart breaking to see the terror written in his eyes, wide and unseeing, and the hot tracks of tears lining his cheeks.

Calaerneth took a deep, calming breath and began to speak softly. She spoke to the Valar and to Morfindir's spirit, calling him to peace, to home, and as she murmured to him, the light of the Eldar spread from the warmth of her hands against his skin.

She pressed her eyes shut, and she could feel his heartbeat, could feel his pain, his anguish...she could see the darkness threatening his fëa.

"Stay with me," she whispered to him. "You are with friends. You are safe. The shadow cannot claim you. I will not let it."

Later if asked to tell how long she stayed there with him, Calaerneth could never be certain. It might have only been minutes, it might have been hours...all she could recall was the overwhelming sense of relief she felt when his breathing steady, and his eyes drifted shut into a peaceful, dreamless rest.

Calaerneth removed her hands and exhaled softly, obviously exhausted. She opened her eyes and looked at Elrond. The Lord of Rivendell stared at her curiously and simply arched a single eyebrow at her. His mouth creased into a smile as he regarded Morfindir, now resting comfortably before him.

Calaerneth cleared her throat. "He should be fine now, my lord. With plenty of sleep and proper care of his wound, he should make a full recovery in a few days. If he should experience any more anxiety or terror in his dreams, I would gladly help him put his mind to ease."

"You have exceeded my expectations today, Calaerneth. Why don't you rest, perhaps read your new book, and we will meet again tomorrow around this time." Elrond told her as he gathered the leftover herbs to put away.

Cal beamed. This, this moment of approval from Elrond, well, it was an affirmation of everything she had wanted since she left home. Bowing her head respectfully, she took the book and went to her room.

Elrond watched her go and then his eyes drifted to Morfindir, now serene in a deep healing sleep. Somehow...Calaerneth had sensed the shadow hanging over the young elf's spirit; she had reached him and brought him back. Hers was a rare talent, one reserved for longtime healers or perhaps one with noble blood. Calaerneth was neither. Even so, she had a gift for fëa healing.

The Lord of Rivendell pensively settled into the chair beside Morfindir's bed. Calaerneth had done well today. Extremely well, and Elrond could not help but wonder if this young maiden could be the key to helping Glorfindel with his nightmares.


	4. Chapter 4

Rule #35: Always Have Patience with your Patients.

Calaerneth paced nervously back and forth. Today was her first genuine appointment as a healer, and she would not have Lord Elrond by her side to help if she needed it. Biting a nail, she wondered how this even happened...

...Last night she was still fuming over her infuriating encounter with Golden Delicious. Throwing the covers back on her bed, she brushed her hair, preparing to get into bed when a knock sounded on her door. "It had better be him coming to apologize for being such a jerk," she muttered as she stormed to the door.

Instead of Golden Delicious, however, she was met by Lord Elrond who had a quizzical look on his face. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Cal flushed and tightened the belt on her robe. "Lord Elrond, what a surprise. I was not expecting to see you here. Come in, please." Opening the door, she stood to the side to allow the dark-haired lord to enter.

"Thank you," Elrond said, entering. His dark eyes took in her robe and the pulled back coverlet on her bed. "I do hope I am not interrupting. I know it is quite late."

Calaerneth smiled and offered him a seat. "No, my lord. You are more than welcome. Is something wrong? You look like you have something on your mind," she said.

"I have a special request to ask of you," Elrond said, steepling his fingers together thoughtfully.

"A special request?" Cal repeated incredulously. In what capacity, could the Lord of Rivendell possibly require her assistance?

Elrond nodded and smiled softly. "Yes, after watching your exceptional display with Morfindir today, I began to think that perhaps you could be of service to a particular friend of mine." Elrond leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he thought how best to describe the situation. "He suffers from traumatizing dreams which are beginning to affect him on an emotional level, yet he is very stubborn and will not admit that he needs help. Since you were able to help Morfindir, I hoped you might try to help him."

Calaerneth swallowed thickly. "I see, and who might your friend be?"

"His name is Lord Glorfindel. He is the Captain of my Guard and a dear friend. If there is any way you could help him through this, I would be grateful."

All Cal could manage was to echo "Lord Glorfindel?" As in  _the_  Glorfindel? The balrog slaying hero of Gondolin Glorfindel?

She tried to pull herself together. "Is he the same…?" She gestured loosely, for the words would not come out.

Lord Elrond nodded, just once. "Yes."

She stared after Lord Elrond and then realized her mouth was open. She shut it.

Cal stopped and thought for a moment. She was not sure how she could help him, especially someone like Lord Glorfindel. He was...well, beyond imagining, frankly. Helping someone in the middle of a waking terror was one thing, but counseling someone, especially if they felt they did not need help was another matter altogether. However, seeing the hopeful look on Lord Elrond's face, at least she had to try. "I am not sure how much help I will be, but I will give it my best attempt my lord," she said with a small smile.

Elrond grinned, pleased to hear this. "Thank you, Lady, Calaerneth. If there is anything I can do to help you just let me know. I will let you retire for the night, and tomorrow morning I will show you to the room that will be your personal work space. Expect Lord Glorfindel tomorrow evening after the last meal." Standing to his feet, Lord Elrond bowed and left Cal pondering just how she was going to pull this off….

...It had only been less than a day's time since her conversation with Elrond concerning Lord Glorfindel, and now she would be meeting the legendary elf for herself in a matter of minutes.

As she continued pacing, Cal decided to make one last check to be sure that she had everything ready for when Lord Glorfindel arrived. She still could not believe that her first patient was  _him_.

Knowing how important it was that he be as comfortable as possible, she requested a low couch for him to use during their sessions together. She fluffed the soft feather pillows, rearranging them a few more times. Finally, after about the third time, she decided that they were perfect.

Moving on, she straightened the pictures on the light blue walls. The artwork depicted peaceful rivers, mountains, and trees. She told Lord Elrond that generally patients who suffered from terrifying experiences felt more at ease in rooms adorned with tranquil objects and colors. Satisfied with the arrangements, she picked up the book that Lord Elrond had given her and started going through some of the finer points, including her own questions that she had written out beforehand. Cal wanted to make sure she started out slow, not jumping to more serious questions or issues before he was ready. She certainly did not to make him any more uncomfortable than he probably already was.

Calaerneth was in the middle of going through the handbook when she heard the tread of light footsteps. Turning around, she nearly dropped her book when she realized who it was… Golden Delicious.

And he did not look happy at all.

"You!" she exclaimed, snapping her book shut. "You know, you have a bad habit of barging into the wrong places. I'm waiting for a patient right now. A Lord Glorfindel? Now, if you will kindly excuse me."

Golden Delicious's eyes narrowed, his body tensing up when he heard her mention his name. "I am Lord Glorfindel."

Calaerneth felt all the color drain from her face. Surely, he jested. Golden Delicious could not be her first patient. She glanced down at the book in her hands and then back at Lord Glorfindel.  _Lord Glorfindel,_ Elrond's close friend. He was counting on her to help him. Pulling herself together, she gestured for Golden Delicious...err, Lord Glorfindel to take a seat on the sofa.

Smirking, Glorfindel reclined on the sofa, crossing his feet. Sighing heavily, he took a strand of his hair and started playing with the ends. -*

Cal watched him carefully, noticing how nervous he actually was, though he would not have anyone know. Despite his horrid attitude, she surprisingly felt sympathy for him. Here was this warrior elf, the stuff of legends—a slayer of a mighty balrog—and he was nervous.

Taking out her notebook, Cal prepared herself for her first session. She drew a deep breath and started with her introduction, just as she planned. "My name is Calaerneth. This evening we will begin with some basic questions for our first session. So, first question: what is your name?"

Glorfindel rolled his eyes. "You know my name, or else I would be anywhere but here."

Calaerneth slashed a heavy line through that question in her notebook. "Next item," Cal said, gritting her teeth. "Tell me about yourself."

Glorfindel sat up. Turning around, he stared coolly at her and cleared his throat. "My name is Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower. You may have heard of me before? I  _am_  fairly well known… but I suppose not everyone may be as familiar with their history of famous elves and epic battles…"

Fighting the urge to throw her book at him, Cal methodically proceeded to the next question, all the while avoiding eye contact with her patient. Horrid elf. "So, tell me,  _Lord Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower_ , what do you like to do in your free time?"

Glancing nonchalantly at Cal, he shrugged. "Kill things. Sharpen my sword..."

Looking up at him as he spoke, she locked her eyes on his. Seconds ticked by, his dark blue eyes trained on her green ones; and her breath caught in her throat under the intensity of his gaze, like he could feel her heart speed up, like he knew what she was thinking, like he knew...her.

Cal inwardly scoffed. How dare he try to make her feel uncomfortable? Pushing her nerves aside, she continued.

"Interesting," she said flatly, writing his response in her notebook word for word. "So, Lord Elrond tells me you have been having trouble sleeping at night? Can you tell me what has been bothering you?"

Glorfindel's eyes flashed, and before Cal knew what was happening, he towered over her, his face only inches from hers. "That is none of your business!" he hissed. "What I dream is my own concern, not that of some child who has only been here for a couple of days!" Standing to his full height, he stormed to the door.

Slightly shaken, Cal took several deep breaths to slow her pounding heart. "I am sorry. I meant no offense. Lord Elrond was worried and asked me if I would help."

Glorfindel tensed when he heard Elrond's name. "I appreciate your concern, if you can call it that, but I do not need nor want your help. The only reason I came tonight was because Elrond told me to come. I came. We are done here." Before, Cal could reply, Glorfindel stormed out, slamming the door.

"Well, Cal, nice job! First appointment and you totally ruin it," she whispered to herself, throwing her book on the couch. To be honest though, she was also frustrated at Glorfindel. Here she was trying to help him, and he acted like an egotistical creep. Why could he not just admit he might need help?

Sitting down on the couch, she cradled her head in her hands. How was she going to tell Elrond that she had failed on her first try? Thinking back to Glorfindel's answers, she slowly came to a decision. She was not going to give up. She had never met a challenge from which she backed away, and she was not about to let Glorfindel be the first.

Standing to her feet, Cal headed for the door. She would head to her room and figure out how she could possibly earn his trust, even if only by a little. She was only a few feet out the door when she spotted him.

Not wishing for him to think she followed him, Calaerneth stood to the side and watched.

Lord Glorfindel was not alone. There, in front of him with a tear stained face, was Elrond's youngest son, Estel. As she watched the golden-haired warrior interact with the child, she could hardly believe this was the same elf who had just behaved so abominably to her.

"Estel, small one. What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" she heard him ask, his voice low and melodic.

"I can't go to sleep because I am scared of the orcs under my bed. I heard them! They are scary Glorfy," he said, sniffling.

Calaerneth's heart melted a little at the pair of them as she realized Glorfindel did have a vulnerable side. She continued listening to the exchange, a smile slowly playing across her face.

"It is alright, little one. Sometimes I too have bad dreams," he told Estel softly.

Estel's small mouth dropped open. "Really? What do you do when you have bad dreams?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Glorfindel thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know…" he admitted, sounding lost.

Estel piped up, his own troubles forgotten. "Silly, you go get someone to help you not be scared!"

Looking down at Estel, Glorfindel ruffled his unkempt hair. "Is that right?"

"I found you, didn't I? You wouldn't let any old orcs carry me off!" Estel said, his eyes shining with admiration towards his balrog slaying friend.

Smiling slightly, Glorfindel picked up Estel and carried him back to bed singing a low song under his breath.

Cal listened to them go, her heart full of wonder at what she had witnessed. Surely, there had to be some way to reach him...to help him. He had behaved horribly—there was no denying that point—but still, he was under her care. She would find a way, of that she was certain!

She picked up her notebook and glanced at the most recent page.

_Free time: Kill things. Sharpen his sword,_ she had written and sketched a caricature of an exaggerated Glorfindel impaling her therapy couch.

She closed the book with a sigh and shook her head. It was difficult to reconcile that this ill-mannered, bad-tempered grouch of an elf was  _the_  Glorfindel of legends.

He certainly  _looked_  the part. She could easily imagine him in shining armor racing toward the enemy on a white charger, sword drawn high in the morning sun...but then he opened his mouth and ruined everything.

Maybe he was a famous warrior, Calaerneth concluded. Perhaps he was fearless and bold and used to winning every fight and every battle, but...he had never gone up against her. Calaerneth tucked her book under her arm and tossed her hair as she started down the path.

Lord Glorfindel had met his match.


	5. Chapter 5

Rule #12: Never lose your temper when dealing with stubborn patients.

Still half asleep, Elrond yawned as he stood in front of his window. He had not slept a wink last night; his mind kept wandering to Glorfindel. He realized that his friend was not thrilled at being told to meet with his new healer, and Glorfindel had a temper. So, to help take his mind off of Glorfindel, Elrond had stayed up nearly all night reading. He had just fallen asleep when the first rays of light had crept into his room, forcing the disgruntled elf lord out of bed.

For some reason, he could not place his finger on, today seemed as though it would be more difficult, as though the bright sun belied the ill warning stirring in Elrond's heart. The dark-haired ellon grumbled to himself as he tried in vain to cover his eyes from the sun. "Why on Arda does Anor feel she has to come in so brightly through my window? Why can't she torment Glorfindel or even Erestor?" he growled.

Even though the sun had risen, covering Imladris in its bright rays, most of the inhabitants still slept soundly or were only now getting up. Looking out his window, he noticed his gardener and stable master heading out to begin their daily tasks. In the distance, he could hear the rushing sounds of the falls mixed with the song of birds as they flew to and fro, letting everyone know it was time to awaken. Oh, how Elrond wished he could stuff a few of those birds and hang them on his mantle for all the times they had disturbed his slumber. He figured he would be in a much more generous mood after his first, nay, his second cup of tea.

Turning around, he surveyed his large bed with his huge feather pillows and soft duvet, wishing that he was still curled up underneath sleeping away, but alas, that was not to be. For one, he had a stack of trade negotiations and unfortunately, he had to reassign several guard assignments along with several reports that needed to be finished before the noon meal. For another, he had to check up with Calaerneth to see how her first appointment with Glorfindel went. He could not place his finger on it, but he had a nagging feeling that it did not go as he had hoped.

Sighing heavily, Elrond finished dressing, plaited his hair, and headed out of his room. Not even bothering to stop for breakfast, he headed towards his study to start on his paperwork. On his way, he bumped into Erestor who was clearly disturbed if the disgruntled set of his mouth was any indicator.

"Good morning, Erestor, is everything alright?" Elrond asked carefully, bracing himself for a litany of possible complaints.

Erestor furrowed his brows together, flustered. "No, my Lord Elrond," he said slowly. Elrond noticed that Erestor hesitated, as if he struggled to put his thoughts in order, which was normally not difficult at all for his quick-witted friend.

After a pause, Erestor continued. "I am not sure what is wrong with Glorfindel, but this morning as I headed to the dining halls, I ran into him. He seemed very irritated. When I had inquired what was wrong, he laid into me. Something about the whole of Imladris sticking their noses in his business. First, you, then some nosy healer named Calaerneth, and now me." Erestor folded his arms and sniffed as he eyed Elrond for answers. "I thought that perhaps you would know more about this."

Pursing his lips, Elrond's eyes narrowed, his suspicions confirmed. If Glorfindel snapped at Erestor, then how did he treat Cal last night? "Thank you for informing me, Erestor," Elrond told him, knowing that his plans for the morning just became immeasurably more complicated. Taking a deep breath, Elrond quickly made for Calaerneth's rooms.

A few moments later, Elrond arrived at her door. He could already hear light footsteps moving about. Straightening his robes, Elrond knocked softly on her door. "Calaerneth, it is Lord Elrond."

A few seconds later, the door opened, and a very tired looking Cal appeared at the door. "My Lord Elrond," she said, immediately trying to make herself more presentable, "I was not expecting to see you here so early. Would you care to come in?"

Smiling softly at her, Elrond shook his head. "That is alright, Calaerneth. The reason I came was to inquire about Lord Glorfindel." Cal's face fell ever so slightly causing Elrond to become more concerned.

The elven lord continued: "I do not want you to breach your patient's trust in any way, but please tell me—was Lord Glorfindel receptive to your healing session last night?" Elrond already guessed the answer, and the look on Cal's face only confirmed his suspicions. He would have to speak with Glorfindel concerning his churlish behavior, and quite frankly, he dreaded it.

Calaerneth twirled a piece of her hair in her fingers, her eyes darting towards the floor as she struggled to find a way to answer him. "Ummmm… He arrived on time, and he did answer every question that I asked… well, up until the last one that is, then everything went downhill from there."

Elrond's eyes narrowed darkly. "I see…. how did he treat you? Was he at least polite to you?"

Cal's cheeks flushed slightly and it soon became clear to Elrond that Calaerneth had no idea how to answer this. "He was curt up to the end as I said, and when I brought up his sleep, he became very...agitated."

"Thank you, Calaerneth. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Elrond told her apologetically and bowed slightly. "I shall leave you for now, and I will inform you later on what our next plan will be."

As Elrond walked swiftly to his study, he passed Lindir on the way. Halting abruptly, he gestured for the elf to stop. "Lindir, would you please send for Lord Glorfindel at once? Tell him to come to my study immediately."

Lindir's eye's widened and he took a step back before he answered nervously. "At once, my lord," he replied bowing his head before going off to find the unfortunate elf.

Elrond hurried to his study as quickly as he could. He needed time to figure out how he was going to handle this… delicate situation as he called it. Many times, Elrond had seen Glorfindel lose his composure with unsuspecting elves when he had been confronted about his past or even when he was just in a foul mood.

More than once, he himself had been on the receiving end of his temper, but something told him that this would not be a normal heated discussion, and quite frankly, that unnerved Elrond. As he went over what he would say to Glorfindel when he arrived, he heard booted footsteps approaching, Elrond knew at once who it was. "Oh Valar, give me strength to handle him," he whispered.

A few seconds later, Glorfindel arrived, his long golden hair, almost bleached white in the morning sun, streaming behind him. Anger marred his lovely features, for his normally tranquil eyes spoke of bitterness and grief. "You called for me, my lord?" he asked quietly, his voice cold enough to challenge the ice of Caradhras.

Glancing up from his desk, the dark-haired elf attempted a small smile, motioning for the warrior to enter. Glorfindel stormed into the room, still carrying his weapons and dropped them with a loud clank on the floor. The air crackled between them as Glorfindel stood there unapologetic, resolute, his blue eyes darkening like the sky before thunder.

Elrond glared at his friend disapprovingly before pointing to a chair in front of him. "Sit, now!" he ordered, his voice quickly becoming cold.

Throwing himself in the chair, folding his arms, Glorfindel stared at Elrond, his jaw clenched. "Well, I am waiting, Elrond. What is it?"

Trying to keep his composure, Elrond breathed deeply, counted to ten. "First off, it is  _Lord_  Elrond, for it seems as though you have lost all sense of decorum. Secondly, how dare you speak so harshly to Erestor and my new healer? Please, enlighten me as to the root of your sudden decline."

"Excuse me…  _Lord Elrond_ , how could I ever forget?" Glorfindel said sarcastically. Standing to his feet, Glorfindel leaned over Elrond's desk, pointing his finger in his face. "How dare _I_ speak that way? How dare  _you_ spill my confidences! I trusted you, and what do you do? You rush off to the first person you see and tell her..." Glorfindel's face flushed in shame, and his eyes flashed with each word he spoke. "So, tell me, Lord Elrond, who else are you blabbing to?"

Pushing himself from his chair, Elrond marched around his desk, the whole time trying to control his blood from boiling over. " _Blabbing_? Is this your opinion of me, Glorfindel? I am your friend—I would never spill your secrets to anyone!"

Glorfindel laughed mirthlessly. "No? Then tell me, friend, how would this Calaerneth know I had trouble sleeping?"

This time Elrond laughed—he could not help himself. The situation had become so absurd. "I didn't tell her anything, Glorfindel. Yes, I said you were having trouble sleeping, but that was all I said."

Affronted, Glorfindel drew back. "It was not up to you to say! My business is my own. If I decide I want people to know I am having trouble sleeping, then I will be the one to tell them, not you!"

Elrond started feeling himself lose more of his self-control with each word Glorfindel uttered. "Would you listen to yourself? You are so consumed with your self-importance, that you cannot realize what a little troll you are being."

"Self-importance?" Glorfindel hissed. "Oh, that is rich, coming from you. You walk around here, fancying yourself as mighty as the elf lords of old. A ring of power does not make one all-mighty, Elrond. I was out killing Balrogs while your father was only a child."

Elrond's eyes darkened. "Do not talk to me about my father, you obstinate ass. Killing Balrogs? You killed one, fleeing Gondolin, and you  _died_ ," Elrond said and stopped, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. They needed to calm themselves before things got even uglier. "Glorfindel, you cannot see what we see. You are not well. Do you think you know better than I? Who is the healer, Glorfindel?"

"Do not even mention Gondolin or any part of my past to me!" Glorfindel roared, his frame rigid, taut like a mighty bow before a siege. "I  _do_  know better than you, Elrond. Because these are my problems to work through—not yours—and I am doing fine!"

Elrond could not believe how stubborn this elf was being! "No, you are far from fine, Glorfindel. You will return to have more sessions with Calaerneth and work with her to get over these dreams."

"You cannot force me to get help, Elrond!" Glorfindel cried, his eyes flashing. "I will not go, and that is final!"

Setting his jaw, Elrond narrowed his eyes. "I am sick of watching you self-destruct and take it out on those who care about you. I tried to let you handle this on your own, but no more… Since you refuse to go willingly, you leave me no choice." Elrond's tone dropped to a low, resigned note. "I hereby discharge you from your duty as Captain of my Guard until your healer clears you." Curse Glorfindel's arrogance for forcing his hand in this matter, but as it was, the warrior left him no other alternative.

"Oh, that's rich, Elrond, 'discharge me from my duties.' Like you could stop me from doing exactly what I want," Glorfindel said, his voice full of power. His was a voice which commanded legions; the chief of the House of the Golden Flower rarely dealt in concession. A swift current hung between the two elves, as if two dangerous storms, one from the east and one from the west, meant to collide to the ruin of all.

Elrond tried again: "Glorfindel, I am trying to help you, and if discharging you is the only way to get you to get the help you need then so be it."

"Help me?" The two words echoed loudly through the study, and Glorfindel took a threatening step forward, leaning toward Elrond's face. "You couldn't even help your wife!" No sooner had the words left his mouth when Glorfindel realized he had gone too far. "Elrond, I'm sor—"

"How dare you speak of my wife!" Elrond snarled. Every last shred of control fled his body like the Bruinen during a flash flood, and rearing back, Elrond punched Glorfindel across the jaw with the force of a dwarven hammer.

Glorfindel lost his balance, toppling back over the chair and hitting the floor with a thud. He shook his head as if trying to find his bearings and then for a second, stared up at Elrond blankly as if in shock.

Elrond disbelievingly shook out his throbbing hand. He had struck his best friend. Not that Glorfindel had not deserved it, but… Elrond bitterly watched his dear friend, gingerly prodding his jaw as he sprawled across the finely woven rug of the study. A deep sadness, a familiar grief, overwhelmed Elrond.

"You are right, Glorfindel. I couldn't save her, but I believe I can save you." Feeling himself coming undone, he pleadingly searched his friend's eyes. "Glorfindel, please—give the sessions another chance."

Glorfindel.

He was the last of his house, a scion from an age of great and terrible deeds, one of the mightiest warriors of old. He gazed up at Elrond now through long, fine lashes, his eyes, clear and deep, remorseful. The storm had passed.

"Valar, Elrond, that was one hell of a punch," Glorfindel said as he rubbed his sore jaw.

Elrond smirked, eyeing his friend's already bruising face. "Well, you deserved it. You are fortunate that was all I did."

Glorfindel frowned, his heart ashamed. He pushed himself up off the floor and carefully smoothed his hair. "I know I did," he admitted. "I should not have spoken thus." He waited a moment, his eyes straying to the window, where outside the morning haze had burned away into far-reaching blue skies with nary a cloud in sight. "I—It hurt to think you had betrayed my trust, Elrond, but my words to you were inexcusable. Forgive me?" He opened his arms.

The elf lord allowed himself to be embraced by his close friend. "Of course, I forgive you, but you're still off duty until Calaerneth clears you, understood?"

The golden-haired warrior glared at Elrond. "I really hate you sometimes," he said, but from his jovial tone, Elrond could tell that he did not really mean it. His eyes crept toward the door, and he smiled mischievously. "Fortunately for us, we didn't get any blood in the carpet. Can you imagine Erestor's reaction?"

"Eru help us!" Elrond said, his brow raising as he tried not to return the smile.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Elrond went to search for Calaerneth. After searching in countless places, he came upon her in the gardens, one of his favorite spots actually, where the rolling green lawn fell away to the rush of the water, and a beautifully carved stone bridge glowed white under the sun. "Ah, there you are Cal. I have been searching all over for you."

"Forgive me, my lord," Cal said and stood to her feet as she brushed the wrinkles from her gown. "I have discovered that the gardens here help clear my mind. Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly…" Elrond hedged, "I had a rather… interesting conversation with Lord Glorfindel, and I managed to convince him to give your sessions another chance."

"You managed to convince him, my lord?" she asked her eyes growing wide. "How did you manage to do that"

"Let's just say that I had to remove him as Captain of my Guard until you have deemed him well enough to return," Elrond said uneasily. He knew how much Glorfindel prided himself as Captain and this was one of the most difficult things he had to do, but he told himself that it was for Glorfindel's best interest.

Cal's face fell. No doubt Glorfindel would blame her for this. "I see…."

Noticing her discomfort, Elrond placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry, my dear, Glorfindel will not give you a hard time about it. He knows that if he wants to return to his position, he has to cooperate. So I suggest that you prepare for your next session with him and let Erestor or myself know if you need anything." Smiling, Elrond walked back to the house, leaving Calaerneth both nervous yet full of optimism that her next session would be smoother.

Arriving back to his own rooms, Elrond opened up a small wooden cabinet that held some herbs, bandages, and other healing supplies. Taking out some dark green leaves, he crushed them before placing them in his tea. He was exhausted, and his hand throbbed.

Looking down at his hand, he saw that it had started turning a dark shade of blue. What was Glorfindel's jaw made of, stone? Elrond took a slow sip of his tea. He pursed his lips at the bitter taste before settling down in his large overstuffed chair, allowing his mind to unwind from earlier. Even though he and Glorfindel had ended on better terms and the warrior was going to give the therapy sessions another chance, Elrond could not help but worry for him. He had not wanted to remove him from duty. What would others say when they found out? What would he tell them? Elrond worried now if he had indeed made the right choice.

As Elrond sipped on his tea, his mind reflected back to earlier. Yes, things had been rough, words had been exchanged, oh, had they been exchanged, but in the end, Glorfindel had agreed to return to therapy. With any luck, his friend would put a true effort into getting the much-needed help that he so desperately needed. Finally, he could be free of those terrifying nightmares that plagued him for so long. Thinking about that put a small smile on Elrond's face. If anyone could help Glorfindel overcome these dreams, it was Calaerneth. He was not sure how or why, perhaps it was little more than a hunch, but there was something special about his new healer, something unique about her. And over the course of many long years, Elrond had come to realize that most of his intuition generally paid off. Realizing that he had finished his tea, Elrond stood and stretched before heading back to his study to finish his work. Hopefully, tonight he would get a full night of glorious, uninterrupted sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Rule #19: Encourage your patient to be optimistic.

Glorfindel's heart clenched in the desperate labyrinth of smoke and fire. Everywhere he turned he met destruction, fire, smoke, death. A heart-wrenching scream dragged through the darkness, clawed at his heart. That scream. It haunted him. It rang in his ears, and even when the sound stopped, he could still hear it. A horrifying shriek, a cry for help.

Still the smoke churned, choked him, burned his eyes. His heart pounded in his ears.

Glorfindel tried to call out. His voice only rasped against the curling, dark smoke. And so he stumbled forward, hands out, gripping his sword, eyes burning.

That scream, the same scream. A horrifying shriek, a cry for help. It echoed through the darkness. His heartbeat kept time with it. Help, help, help. The smoke billowed and flowed, curling itself around Glorfindel, and the scream hammered in time with his heart, with his every breath.

The further Glorfindel plunged into the night, the thicker the smoke became. He was blind. He was lost, and the cry for help rang in his ears.

And then as sharply as the sudden edge of deadly blade, the screaming stopped, and there was silence. The pounding in Glorfindel's ears slowed, and he heard himself draw a ragged breath.

Glorfindel blinked furiously. His eyes stung from smoke and tears, but none of it mattered. It wasn't enough. He was not enough, and dread crawled over him as the smoke and the darkness took on an unholy glow. A low rumble, a hiss. The air around him grew thick and warm, and Glorfindel stepped back. The ground gave out from under him, and Glorfindel plunged into the doom, his hair whipping across his cheek and a sword of fire lashing toward him. He flung his arms and hands out to find something, anything, to hold onto, to stop his free fall, but his body plummeted faster and deeper into the dark abyss...

...Glorfindel woke with a start, a scream ripping from his dry throat. Breathing hard, his eyes darted around the room as he tried to remember where he was. Feeling his hands clenched, he realized they tightly gripped the sheets of his bed, which twisted around his body as if he had been trying to get away from some unknown enemy. Quickly getting up, he rushed over to a table holding a small pitcher and a water basin.

After pouring himself a glass of water to wet his parched throat, he splashed his face with cold water. His face and neck felt clammy, and his hands shook ever so slightly. Glorfindel briefly considered taking a bath, but he could not relax right now. Not after...he pushed the unwelcome thoughts away. He needed to be active, to feel the comforting weight of his sword in his hands.

Looking into his small mirror, Glorfindel grimaced as he beheld his complexion. His face appeared paler than normal; his eyes, not as bright; even his hair had lost its lustre and shine. Glorfindel picked up his brush, reparted his hair and plaited the sides. He brushed it a few more times and dissatisfied, laid his brush back down. He supposed he looked as he felt, as though he had not slept in weeks or even months. Unbidden and unwanted, the dream came back to him. The death, smoke, fire, the scream which kept calling his name, screaming for help. Glorfindel shuddered. He needed to get out of here and get his mind onto something else… anything else.

He wanted to train, to take his sword and destroy an enemy he could see. No, he was not 'active' in the guard right now, but… Elrond would not wish for him to languish in idleness while waiting for his healer to clear him. With his mind made up, Glorfindel pulled out his training clothes: light weight tunic and pants, his faded leather bracers, his worn and scuffed boots. He flung off his still damp night clothes, as if by separating himself from them, from the bed, from those sheets, he could distance himself from his dark dreams. Glorfindel knew it was foolish, but he pulled the linens from the bed and piled them along with his night clothes in a far corner of the room for the maids to wash. As if he could purge the memories—were they memories?—from his mind. The golden-haired warrior threw on his clothes, laced his vambraces. Once his boots were on his feet, he grabbed his sword and belt, tightening it securely before dashing off to the training grounds.

Glorfindel raced toward his destination, several feelings and thoughts running through his mind; feelings of weakness for having these dreams, anger at not being able to control them, but most of all the feeling of fear… fear that these dreams would consume him body, mind, and soul. Perhaps Elrond was right, perhaps he really did need help after all. When was the last time he slept soundly without his past haunting him? Was it in Valinor? Just the thought of Elrond being right had Glorfindel muttering a curse that would make orcs blush.

Pushing himself faster, he became so oblivious to his surroundings he failed to see another elf rounding the corner. Colliding head first, he knocked the elf solidly to the ground, Glorfindel nearly falling to the ground with her.

"Forgive, me, I did not see you. Are you hurt?" he asked, brushing his hair from his eyes. When he saw whom he had knocked over, Glorfindel inwardly groaned. "Oh, it is you again. Why is it I can never have a day where we do not run into one another?"

Calaerneth looked up dazed, the wind slightly knocked from her. Noticing Glorfindel, the fact that he clearly wore his training attire shocked her. She could have sworn that Elrond had taken him off the patrol until she had cleared him. "I thought that Lord Elrond removed you from his guard until further notice?" she asked, arching a brow at him. She started to add 'until she had cleared him' but thought better of it. The last thing she wanted was to anger him again.

Sucking in air, Glorfindel could feel the anger stirring up inside him at the mention of his suspension. "Well, you would know, wouldn't you? After all, you are the one who has to deem me healthy enough to return." he said testily. Valar, could she push him to the brink of insanity.

Dusting off her hands and picking up the stems of her fresh flowers off the ground, Cal then started to push herself off the ground. Why did their meetings always have to turn into a heated discussion? Finding it difficult to get up without ruining the flowers, Cal huffed in annoyance.

Glorfindel watched her flounder for a minute before offering her his hand to help her up. A small part of him whispered meanly in his ear that she got what she deserved, but Glorfindel squashed that line of thought; he was the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower. He could never be so petty, nor unkind. No matter how much he detested this elleth, he could not just stand idly by as she struggled on the ground, especially after he had been the one to knock her down! "Here, allow me to help you up," he said holding out his hand.

Calaerneth hesitated at first, caught off guard by his sudden change in attitude. Slowly taking his hand, she half expected him to let go. He effortlessly hauled her to her feet, and she met his eyes with a cautious smile. Those deep blue eyes seemed to stare right through her. "Thank you, Lord Glorfindel, for your kindness," she told him, her eyes trailing to where he still held her hand in his.

Following her eyes downward, he noticed her smaller hand in his. Healer's hands, he thought, smooth and uncalloused, fingers that soothed and mended. Noticing her ragged nails, he tilted his head in surprise. "You bite your nails?"

Cal blushed under his scrutiny. "Terrible habit I know. I only do it when I am trying to remember something."

"You must forget a lot," he quipped, the corners of his mouth turning up. Realizing he was still holding her hand, Glorfindel quickly let go. "I am sorry about knocking you down."

Calaerneth smoothed out her gown, readjusted the flowers in her arms and she smiled up at him, a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "Well, I should learn to be more careful and pay attention to where I am going." She paused for a second, shifting her weight as she debated what to tell him. "I am also sorry that Lord Elrond put you on leave. It really was not my idea for him to do that."

At the mention of his leave, Glorfindel's expression cooled, became impersonal once more. "Well, I suppose I will see you later." Bowing his head he resumed his run to his destination, his hand still feeling warm from where it had briefly held hers.

* * *

After Glorfindel had left, Cal checked that the flowers were not ruined before making her way up the stairs to the main house. Humming a quiet tune, she strolled through the entry way, her heart feeling lighter than it had for days. Glorfindel. The surly captain had actually been cordial to her. Sure, he had knocked her down first, but still. When he wasn't behaving like an absolute orc, he could be...well, charming. It didn't hurt that he had the most beautiful dark blue eyes she had ever seen. But enough of that, she reminded herself. He was her patient, gorgeous blue eyes notwithstanding, and she would not permit herself to get a little silly over the feel of his firm hand holding hers, pulling her to him. She shook head. Forget Lord Glorfindel. He probably expected her and every other maiden in Rivendell to tremble at the slightest glance from him. Calaerneth was made of sterner stuff; at least, she would endeavor to be!

She decided this morning to find a way to thank Lord Elrond for all the kindness he had shown her. Even if a vase of flowers for his main table was a small gesture, it was a start. His household had a decidedly masculine air. A little reminder of the natural beauty of his valley would not go amiss, Calaerneth thought as she arranged the flowers in a small vase.

As Calaerneth continued humming, she heard the pitter patter of small feet dashing down the stairs. Turning her head, she smiled when she saw Estel running towards her a huge grin on his face. "Cal!"

"Hello, Estel. How are you this morning?" Calaerneth asked, finishing up her flower arrangements. Estel was full of energy this morning, and Cal could not help but wonder where he got it from.

"I am fine. I just got done with breakfast and I saw you coming this way and wanted to say hi," Estel said in one short breath. Before Cal could respond, Estel continued. "I saw you talking to Glorfy down in the garden. My room overlooks the gardens. Sometimes, I see little rabbits at dusk. Do you like rabbits?" he finished.

Cal held back a chuckle. "I do like rabbits, but I have not seen too many. They are not as plentiful where I used to live."

"Oh, that is sad," Estel said, looking sullen for a moment before his eyes lit up once more. "Did you know that Glorfy is the Captain of my Ada's guard? He is the best warrior and fighter in the whole valley!" Then looking around, his voice fell into a whisper. "Don't tell Ada I said that, but he is!"

Cal laughed. "I won't tell him, I promise."

Suddenly, Estel's face grew somber. "I sometimes think Glorfy is sad though."

Channeling her inner healer, Cal grew concerned. "Why do you think that?" she asked sitting down in a nearby chair.

Estel, hesitated for only a moment before he spoke again. "I can see it in his eyes sometimes. Like Ada. He thinks I can't tell, but I can. I'm not a baby," he said putting his hands on his hip, lifting his head high.

Cal leaned down to his eye level, schooling her face into a more serious expression. "No, of course you aren't."

"I heard Ada and Erestor talking once." Estel went on as though Cal had not even spoken. "I was supposed to be in bed, but I couldn't sleep. Erestor said Glorfy couldn't forgive himself. But that doesn't make sense. 'Cause Glorfy is really good. What sort of bad thing could he have done that he can't be forgiven?"

Now Calaerneth became curious and more concerned. Perhaps dreams were not the only issue bothering Glorfindel. "I do not know," she said more to herself.

"I made a picture on the stone walk with some chalk that Erestor made for me!" Estel said brightly, no longer thinking about Glorfindel. "Do you want to see? I drew Glorfy's horse. His name is Asfaloth. Glorfy always names his horses that. Did you know…" Estel's voice chirped on about the other horses in Elrond's stables as he pulled Cal from her chair and out the door.

Asfaloth, Cal thought to herself. Where had she heard that name before? Shaking her head, she continued to follow little Estel as rattled off one horse name after another.

* * *

A loud war cry could be heard as Glorfindel disemboweled another unfortunate training dummy in front of him. Fighting, practicing, being out in the fresh, cold air always helped clear his mind. So entrenched in his training, Glorfindel did not even notice that Elladan and Elrohir had walked up on both sides.

Elladan took a small step back after his usually calm mentor delivered another lethal hack across the dummy's chest. "Valar! Glorfindel, remind me not to anger you anymore. What did this poor defenseless dummy do to you?"

Elrohir, ever the calmer and more tranquil of the two, warned his older brother with a look, before placing a hand on Glorfindel's shoulder. "We heard our father removed you from service for the time being. How are you holding up?"

Glorfindel did not answer but took a few more swings at the dummy before sheathing his sword. Straw fluttered down the field where the dummy bled out.

Eyes wide in mock horror, Elladan dropped his hands and stepped to the side. "I think… you may have killed him," he said as a cross breeze picked up causing the dummy's head to fall off and roll away. "Yes, definitely fatal wounds."

Glorfindel glanced at it disdainfully. "I have been given leave until cleared by your father's new apprentice," he muttered. Talking about his leave was the last topic he wanted to discuss at the moment, but he knew the twins would not leave him be.

Elrohir's eyes lit up. "I heard how this healer saved Morfindir. It was no small feat. Father could not believe it. If he thinks—"

"Oh, your father. He worries too much," Glorfindel interrupted. As much as he loved Elrohir, sometimes it was like talking to two Elronds, so much alike were father and son.

Elladan nodded in agreement. "Our father should spend more time worrying about our borders. More orcs have been coming over from the Misty Mountains. We can ill afford to lose our Captain now."

Putting a comforting arm around Elladan as they walked back to the field house, Glorfindel smiled. "You and your brother will serve well enough in my stead. And I shall easily convince my healer that I am ready for service. She will reinstate me in no time."

Elladan stopped mid-stride. "She? Your new healer is an elleth?" he said looking at his brother, and the two snickered.

"Yes," Glorfindel sighed. "Her name is Calaerneth. She and I got off to a …" he said and paused, searching for the right word, "a rough start. But I will easily win her over."

"I am sure if you are your usual charming self, she will be falling at your feet," Elladan chortled.

Elrohir shook his head disbelievingly. "I'm not so sure his charming self won't be more of a detriment," he said under his breath. Glorfindel could certainly be full of himself.

Glorfindel stopped them with a look. "Elflings," he said patronizingly. "You doubt my skill? Only because you have never witnessed the true master," he said, tossing his golden mane, smiling. "I tell you, when I am finished, she will be signing off on my return to the guard by the end of the week."

"Sure, Oh Great One," Elladan laughed, clapping his Captain on the back. He caught Elrohir's eye and mouthed: "Five gold coins says he takes two weeks to win her over."

Grinning, Elrohir held up four fingers. "A month," he mouthed back. It did his heart good to see Elladan so carefree, even if it was at Glorfindel's expense.

Glorfindel pretended not to notice that Elrond's sons were betting on his success with the healer. Let them have their fun, he thought. He had faced down a balrog. Winning over a simple maiden should be easy enough. She had never met any equal to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Rule #41: Better healing occurs when the patient is relaxed.

Calaerneth fiddled nervously with her quill as she sat behind her desk waiting for Glorfindel to arrive for their second session. He was due to arrive any minute, and to say that she was almost dreading it would have been an understatement. Her first appointment with the blond warrior had not exactly gone as planned, and the thought of having to breach this renowned warrior's "problems" was not exactly the highlight of her morning.

Groaning in anticipation, Cal looked up when she heard someone clear his throat. "Lord Glorfindel, I didn't hear you approach. Please, come in," Calaerneth said, standing from her seat.

Glorfindel entered the room carrying a large bouquet of golden flowers which were held together with a light blue ribbon. The sun streamed in the window behind him, illuminating his golden hair, creating an ethereal like appearance. Walking over to Cal, he handed them to her bowing ever so slightly. "My lady, these are for you."

Cal's green eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever brought her flowers, not even Rodwen. Taking the flowers from Glorfindel, she laughed when she noticed the color. "Golden ones, House of the Golden Flower, I get it," she said smelling them before she placed them gently on her desk. She would have to find a vase for them later.

"I am glad you like them. I saw you had some flowers the other day when I knocked you down. I noticed they were on Elrond's table later." Looking into her eyes, he smiled brightly. "That was a nice gesture, and I thought you might like some for yourself."

"Thank you, they are beautiful." Not sure what she should do next, she eventually motioned for him to sit. "I am glad you are here, Lord Glorfindel. Please, take a seat."

Nodding, Glorfindel nervously took a seat on the large green couch across from Calaerneth, his eyes watching her anxiously, as she took a seat and opened her notebook. When he noticed the intricate writing on the book, he recognized it as Elrond's old healing book. "I notice you have Lord Elrond's handbook."

Looking at the book, she laughed softly. "Oh, yes. Lord Elrond loaned it to me. He said that it was very helpful to him when he was studying and thought it might be of use to me."

Glorfindel seemed impressed. "You are very fortunate he loaned it to you. He can at times be guarded with his personal life." Chuckling more to himself, he shook his head. "I still remember when he had that back in Lindon, he would hardly be seen without it."

Cal's eyes widened hearing just how old Elrond's book really was. "Well, I will be sure to take good care of it. I know that trust is a delicate thing, and I would not want to break that." Clearing her throat, Cal took her quill and flipped to a fresh page in her book. "First, before we start, I want you to know that I understand how difficult this is for you. We do not have to talk about anything serious until you feel comfortable enough."

Twirling a strand of hair, Glorfindel shrugged. "It was pointed out to me that I may need help," he said laughing softly, as if it was a bit silly that he actually needed it.

Sitting back, Cal looked up at Glorfindel. "What do you think? Do you need help?"

Glorfindel shifted uncomfortably on the couch as he mulled over her question. "I'm not sure. I'm usually the one helping others, not the other way around. But…" Running his hand through his hair, he struggled with the next few words. "I will be quite honest with you… I've not been sleeping well," he finally said as if he was admitting defeat.

Cal's eyes softened. For the first time since seeing him, he looked humble and almost helpless. "Well, let us start there then."

"I am not sure what I need to tell you to fix this… I wake up feeling tense, not rested… not myself." The golden-haired elf's eyes grew distant.

"How long have you been feeling this way?" Calaerneth asked sympathetically. She genuinely did want to help him, and he was obviously unused to accepting help from others.

Glorfindel sighed deeply as he thought for a minute. To be honest, he really did not know the answer to that question. He was so used to not sleeping anymore, he eventually lost count after the first few years. "I am not sure, it has been so gradual, but when I stop and think about it, I'm not sure I've had a full night's rest in… years maybe." He looked back down, his arms and shoulders tensing almost painfully.

Valar, he was so tense. Cal knew she had to get him to relax. Thinking for a moment, she finally had an idea. It was something she used to do when she was tense or had a bad day. "Why don't we try a small exercise to help you relax a bit? Close your eyes, and try thinking back and find a good, happy memory from when you felt rested and content. When you have found one, let me know."

Looking up from staring at his hands, Glorfindel cocked his head to the side. "A good memory?"

"Yes, from a time you felt relaxed," Calaerneth said, closing her book in her lap. By the look on Glorfindel's face, Cal would have thought she had asked him to run from one end of Middle Earth to the other.

Swallowing thickly, Glorfindel slowly closed his eyes for a moment while he thought, his long dark lashes resting on his cheek, his mind whirling alike a blustery day, as he searched for something remotely happy that he could use. After a brief moment, Glorfindel opened his eyes. "I'm not coming up with anything good," he said, frowning. "I'm not trying to be difficult," he stated earnestly, "It's just... hard to come up with something. "I mean, I feel good when I'm on the training fields, but that is not exactly peaceful."

Calaerneth nodded her head, trying to think of something else that might help her patient. This was the first time they had a civilized conversation, and he was sincerely putting an effort to get help. She was not about to let him down. "What about a place that makes you smile when you think about it? Something peaceful. Tell me what it feels like when you are there. What do you see and hear?"

Nodding, Glorfindel closed his eyes once more. Taking a deep breath and then another, he opened them again. "All right, I have something. I'm not sure it's what you're looking for."

Cal smiled. "I'm sure it will be fine. Why don't you tell me about it?"

Glorfindel nodded reluctantly. This was one topic he did not like to talk about, even to Elrond. But, if this would help him get reinstated, he was willing to break his own taboo topics. Laying back on the couch, he began. "It's from before." Glorfindel didn't elaborate on before what. He didn't have to. "It's a sun-drenched courtyard, white stone…" his voice trailed off as he began to relive a past memory.

"The warm summer breeze blows through the courtyard bringing with it the smell of honey and bread. The curtains flutter from above and the sound of laughter from the children can be heard as they run. My friends are there, sitting in the courtyard, next to a large fountain. The water flows freely; the sun shines brightly, and there is not a cloud in sight." Glorfindel stopped for only a second as a smile crossed his face, and he slowly began to relax. "As I approach my friends, they laugh, teasing me, telling me I am late."

As Glorfindel continued describing his memory, Cal closed her eyes and ever so gently, she reached out to his fëa. She wanted to get a sense of the possible damage, and there would be no better time than now when he was relaxed. She just had to be careful of how she approached, lest Glorfindel sensed her presence and tense up again. Slowly, gently, she let her own spirit fan out, brush the edges of his own ever so slightly. Glorfindel. His fëa was golden and warm, mighty and enveloping; in that one brief moment, Calaerneth understood for the first time the true power of his presence, the strength of his name and house, the power behind years uncounted of his fierce and loyal heart. She could hear the faint murmur of his Song, the hush of a quiet garden on a warm summer's eve, the heady scent of laurelas in the air. As if she was suddenly there with him in the courtyard, Cal could see everything perfectly. When Glorfindel reached the fountain, a dark-haired elf pulled him into a warm embrace. She could tell they were close friends by the way they laughed and greeted one another. He wore blue and silver, and his long dark hair was pulled tightly back in elaborate braids. At his neck a brooch glinted in the sun, a quick flash of silver, a blue jewel encrusted by white gems.

Then as suddenly as Glorfindel began his description, he finished, and they both opened their eyes feeling relaxed and peaceful. "That was beautiful," Cal said, delicately withdrawing from the warmth of his fëa.

"I can't always remember everything," Glorfindel admitted, sitting back up facing her. "The Valar have veiled many of my old memories from me...to help me have peace in my new life, I suppose."

"Who was the dark-haired elf in your memory?" Cal asked as she scribbled a few notes in her book.

Glorfindel looked puzzled. "What dark-haired elf? I didn't mention a dark-haired elf."

Cal finished writing in her book and looked up. "You didn't? Oh," she said, looking down at her hands, fighting the urge to even out that bit of crooked nail on her index finger. "I must have just imagined it then. I'm sorry, my imagination must have just ran away with me."

Glorfindel laughed. "Well, my description  _was_  really good."

"You made me feel like I was there. So, before you go to bed this week, I want you to think about this memory and its positive feelings. I also want you to record how you feel in this journal," Calaerneth said, picking up a small journal and handing it to Glorfindel. "Jot down ideas or concerns you may want to talk about in our next session."

Taking the journal, Glorfindel looked a little skeptical. After all, he had tried pretty much everything to rid himself of these night terrors without success. He was not sure how writing in a journal would help. "You really think that will help?"

"Well, it's worth trying, and if it doesn't work, we will try something else. We are in this together now." Standing up, Cal set her book on the desk. "Thank you for coming today and giving these sessions another chance."

Glorfindel stood up and stretched, his lips curving into a small smile. "It was not as bad as I thought. Thank you."

For a brief moment, the two stood rooted in place, each looking at the other in equal amounts of relief and satisfaction.

"Well, I will just be going now," Glorfindel said, heading to the door, new journal in hand.

"Yes, well, I will see you in two days at the same time?"

The golden-haired ellon nodded. "Yes, I will be here." Glorfindel hesitated in the door frame and cleared his throat. "So…. are you going to stay here? Because I could walk with you, see you home?"

"I plan on having lunch with Lord Elrond's family actually. They are waiting for me right now," Cal said. A small part of her hoped he might be heading there as well. She could not be sure what it was, but she found that she enjoyed his company.

Glorfindel grinned. "What a coincidence! I am also dining with him. May I have the honor of escorting you?" he asked, holding out his arm.

"Thank you, I would be honored," Cal said, her eyes merry. Taking his arm, the two left the office and headed towards Lord Elrond's family home.

As the two walked towards their destination, the sun shone brightly, enveloping everything in its path. The birds sang their lively tunes as they flittered in the wide blue sky. Cherry blossoms bloomed like snowy arches over the path, and the gardens erupted in dozens of laurelas, gold star flowers brought long ago from Gondolin. While they strolled arm in arm, Cal marveled at the strength in his forearm and envisioned him fighting a slew of orcs singlehandedly. She had firsthand knowledge of what those arms and broad shoulders really looked like under the fine silver cloth of his tunic, but to feel the solid weight of his arm against her own, well, it was more than a little distracting. She could hardly pay attention to Glorfindel as he pointed out the many different flowers, trees, and ever so often, the golden-haired warrior would cheerfully identify the best spots to sit and enjoy the sunrise, sunset, and even where to watch various critters play or nab an unsuspecting elf's sandwich.

Glorfindel was the most relaxed that Calaerneth had seen him since her arrival. Watching him laugh like he had not a care in the world made her face light up and her heart feel glad. This was a Glorfindel she could like, admire even. He was witty and kind. As they passed by another garden, he stopped to pick one of the delicate, golden flowers from a nearby trees, placing it ever so gently, in her hair. "A pretty flower for a beautiful elleth," he said, winking before resuming their walk.

Cal blushed heatedly, as she gazed into his eyes. The blue in them seemed to her like the endless horizon of the sea calling her home. He was so intense—too intense, in fact! Cal glanced away, pretending to be suddenly extremely interested in the smooth stones of the garden path. She was not used to this side of this mysterious elf. In fact, never before had she received this kind of attention from anyone, and she found herself wondering what he would be like if they were courting. She didn't have much time to think on the matter for the two had arrived at Lord Elrond's home, finding the elf-lord on the front steps waiting for them.

Glorfindel escorted Calaerneth up the stairs much to the shock on Elrond's face. "Glorfindel, this is a turn of events. I knew you were a charmer, but…" he said his eyes widening, motioning to his friend on his healer's arm.

"I am just trying to be polite, Elrond," Glorfindel replied with a bow of his head before leading her to the dining area where a large oblong oak table displayed many different types of food. Cal herself wondered whether this was lunch or a banquet! There were breads and jam, turkey sandwiches, honey, small berry tarts, red wine, apples, berries, salads, and what smelled to be a vegetable soup. As she gazed around the table, her eyes fell on the end where two identical elves sat with matching looks of surprise written on their faces.

Seeing Elrond's sons gaping in astonishment, Glorfindel shot the twins a smug look before pulling out a chair for Calaerneth. Glancing at his new healer, he noticed that she wore a mask of confusion regarding the twins in front of her. She knew they had to be Lord Elrond's sons, for they resembled the elf-lord greatly. Their raven black hair flowed freely down their backs, pulled back in delicate braids, a circlet adorning their heads. Meeting their eyes, she felt almost intimidated, lost, as if staring into moonlight flecked with stars.

Remembering his manners, Glorfindel introduced the elleth to the two elf lords. "Oh, please forgive me for not introducing you, my lady. These are two of my best warriors, Lords Elladan and Elrohir. I trained them personally, and they have saved my life on numerous occasions." Then looking at the twins, he told them: "Elladan and Elrohir, I would like you to meet Lady Calaerneth. She is the lovely healer I told you about the other day."

"Pleasure to meet you at last, Lady Calaerneth." the two said in unison, looked at each other and laughed.

"Lord Glorfindel has told us so much about you," one of them offered. Which one, Cal could not be sure. In fact, she was not sure if she would ever be able to tell them apart and was in amazement that anyone for that matter could.

Cal felt her cheeks go warm for the third time today and mentally chastised herself for staring. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

By this time, Elrond had taken his seat, still in a state of shock at seeing the sudden change in his friend from earlier. "I am pleased to see you finally giving this healing session a chance, Glorfindel. I must admit, I have not seen you this relaxed in eons."

"Yes, well, Lady Calaerneth is very good at what she does." Picking up his glass, he swirled the dark red liquid before taking a sip. "So, how has your day been Elrond, anything interesting happen?"

Elrond took a bite of his salad before answering. "Nothing worth noting. I took inventory of my supplies giving a list of what I needed to Erestor and caught up on my reports."

Glorfindel laughed. "My friend, I swear that is all you do. You need to get out more." Turning to the twins who were whispering between themselves, Glorfindel cleared his throat. "How was your patrol? Did you run into any trouble?"

The twins caught off guard, sat up straight looking sheepish as though they had been caught talking about a forbidden subject. "The patrol went fine," Elladan said quickly.

"We had no encounters except a stray orc or two, but I hear further north the orc numbers have been increasing steadily," Elrohir chimed in, a dark look crossing his fair countenance.

"We will need to come up with a plan of action and soon if we wish to defend the north and the greenway," Elrond stated, his voice sounding concerned. He then turned his attention to Cal who appeared to be listening attentively to the others. "My dear, we are all friends here and do not stand on formal ceremony. Please, join in. How has your day been so far?"

Cal smiled timidly, not sure of how to answer the question. "Um, well… my day has been rather uneventful. I took my morning walk, read more of your handbook, and Glorfindel and I had our session, and then we came straight here."

"How are you enjoying the handbook thus far?" Elrond asked, pushing his now empty plate to the side.

"I am enjoying it immensely, my lord. I have learned so much from it already. Thank you for allowing me to study it."

Elrond smiled. "You are most welcome."

Cal looked around the table and could not help but notice that Estel was not present. "If you don't mind my asking, where is young Estel?"

Glorfindel chortled. "Oh, he would be with either Lindir or Erestor. Estel finds our conversations 'too boring' as he puts it."

Laughing, Cal returned to her meal. She could not help however, wishing that her family life had been happier as it was here. Everyone seemed so carefree, ready to lend a helping hand, she thought to herself before resuming her lunch.

After everyone finished their lunch, Glorfindel excused himself. "I am sorry, but I must take my leave now. I may not be active in the guard, but I still must maintain my training regime." Taking Calaerneth's hand in his, Glorfindel gently kissed her fingers. "It was truly a pleasure to dine with you, my lady. I shall see you in two days' time… that is, if we do not run into one another before then." Bowing his head, Glorfindel favored her with another long look and then departed, speaking quietly to Lord Elrond who, as the ever-perfect host, saw his friend to the door.

Cal lowered her eyes, completely stunned at how her patient had been today. This was not the same Glorfindel she had met before. Noticing Elrond still standing near the entrance, Cal rose from her seat, excusing herself from the watchful eyes of the twins to go and talk to their father. "My lord, if I might have a word with you?"

"Of course, what is on your mind Cal?" Elrond motioned for her to join him out on the veranda where they might speak freely.

Not sure how she should word this, Calaerneth just spoke her mind. "Earlier, when Glorfindel and I were in our session, he described a memory of when he was in Gondolin I am assuming. I reached out ever so slightly for his fëa. Not much, but just enough to get a sense of his feelings. Through our connection, I could see everything as he described it." Cal paused not sure how to proceed next.

"During the memory, I saw a dark-haired elf in the courtyard with Glorfindel. He was tall, dressed in blue and silver, and carried a flute with him. His eyes were grey, hair pulled tightly back in elaborate braids. But the most striking detail was the brooch he wore at his neck—it was silver or mithril perhaps with a dark blue jewel encrusted by white gems. However, when I asked Glorfindel who he was, he told me he hadn't mentioned anyone at all. But I know what I saw, Elrond. Is this something I saw perhaps through my connection to his fëa, but Glorfindel himself cannot see?"

Elrond seemed both perplexed and concerned as he listened to Calaerneth's account. "Cal, listen to me carefully," he said with a slight frown, "be careful about searching out Glorfindel's fëa. If he senses it, he will take it as an invasion. I don't think I need to remind you how fiercely private Glorfindel is. I suggest asking permission first."

"Yes, of course." Cal agreed, still puzzled about what she saw. "But I still cannot fathom the complete change in him. Glorfindel seemed to be a completely new patient today."

"That is good. I am glad to hear this," Elrond said impassively. However, inside, Elrond was more than a little suspicious at this news. He knew his friend rather well, and Glorfindel would not just go from refusing help to accepting it gladly. Elrond resolved to monitor the situation closely.

Feeling somewhat appeased after her conversation with Elrond, Calaerneth thanked him for lunch and decided to return to her room. As she neared the entryway where they had dined earlier, Cal could not help but overhear the twins, who still lingered at the table.

"Did you notice how she walked in on his arm?"

"He may be smoother than we gave him credit for!"

"If he keeps this up, she'll be signing off on his release in no time, and I will have lost this bet!"

"Bet?" Cal whispered in complete shock. Thinking back to how charming Glorfindel was: the flowers, the insistence on walking her to lunch, his playful banter… now his charming attentions all made sense! His behavior was a mere ruse to get himself reinstated, she thought to herself, feeling used. For one complete second, Calaerneth considered charging in there and giving the twins a piece of her mind but then stopped as an idea formed in her mind. She refused to play the victim, and allow him to play her like some fool. Glorfindel thought he could take advantage of her? She grinned evilly. Well, just let him try.

* * *

Later that day, Elrond mused alone in the library over Glorfindel's memory of Gondolin. Although Cal quickly discounted it as her imagination, Elrond was not so sure. Walking over to a tapestry that displayed the Fall of Gondolin, his eyes caught a figure that matched Cal's description of the elf she had described to him. There holding a sword in his hand, wearing the colors of his house, hair tied back and… Elrond's eyes grew wide as he noticed the tell-tale piece of jewelry Cal mentioned….  _Ecthelion._  Elrond took a few deep breaths, his heart thrumming over his discovery. "She saw Ecthelion," he said quietly and leaned heavily against the wall, his mind churning over the possibilities. Could she have seen Ecthelion from Glorfindel's memory? His eyes trailed over the tapestry again and again when another possibility entered his mind...

...No, it could not be. Elrond shook his head and resolved to speak with Erestor. For surely, there must be some other explanation for the shared memory of Ecthelion. Surely, he must be mistaken.

The sun faded into dusk, and the moon rose high over the hidden valley. Long did Elrond ponder the significance of Glorfindel's memory...the blue jewel clasped at the elf's throat, the flute in his hand. And when the sun rose sharply in the east the following morning, Elrond still did not have any answers to the question weighing heavily on his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

Rule #30: Even healers need help forgetting sometimes.

Much later in the evening, Cal sprawled across her bed reviewing her notes from her session earlier in the day with Glorfindel. Her mind kept wandering back to his memory and the dark-haired ellon she glimpsed through her connection with Glorfindel's fëa. Who was he and why did he seem so familiar? Cal sighed and absent-mindedly doodled on the open page of the journal in her lap, realizing she was not getting anywhere tonight with these notes. She attempted sketching a cute little bunny she had seen on her walk with Glorfindel to lunch. She got as far as drawing its chubby cheeks, and floppy ears before her pencil outlined a row of flowers marching down the edge of her page—the laurelas given to her from Glorfindel in the morning. As she continued drawing, she stifled a yawn and then another, her eyes slowly drifting into a glaze before she found herself fast asleep.

A warm, gentle breeze brushed against her skin, and she beheld the most beautiful garden. I must be dreaming, Calaerneth told herself, for Rivendell did not have anything as lush or tropical as this garden. Padding across the soft, cool grass, she decided it had to be summer, for the birds flew in the clearest blue skies she had ever seen, and the trees bloomed all around her, and flowers of all types covered the grounds, poured out of pots and raised flowerbeds.

Venturing further into the garden, she noticed four tall trees in each corner and a massive stone wall with starry purple flowers climbing atop it. Her fingers touched the flowers, and she bent over breathing in their natural perfume, a small smile playing on her lips. Standing up, Cal let her feet lead her where they may, and she found herself at the opposite end of the garden, where smooth stones met the lush green grass and the gentle fall of water over pebbles. This place, it seemed so surreal, so magical as if it was a different place and time, and Cal longed to stay there.

As her eyes roamed the vast garden, trying to remember every detail of this place, she noticed a tall, raven-haired ellon standing by the small waterfall-like fountain. Turning, the elf smiled reaching for her hands and pulled her into a warm embrace. Just as he was about to whisper something into her ear, Cal woke with a gasp.

She had seen him before…in Glorfindel's memory of Gondolin!

Glancing down to where her notebook should have been, she realized it slid off her lap and fell open to a different page. Her eyes widened as she beheld what was on the page. Instead of the drawing of the bunny and flowers she had sketched before, there was a sketch of the jewel worn by the very elf from her dream; only this was a very detailed rendering of it. She warily eyed her hand, still holding her pencil. Was it possible she had drawn a picture of the jewel while dreaming? Too shaken up to sleep, Cal tried once more to go over her notes.

* * *

Early the next morning, after Cal dressed in her most comfortable long tunic and leggings, she decided to skip the morning meal and head over to the gardens by the main bridge and falls. After the startlingly realistic dream and the discovery of the jewel sketch, she had not slept a wink, and the last thing she wanted was to be questioned by anyone.

Shouldering her leather bag in which she always carried her notebook and the handbook Lord Elrond loaned her, she left her room, quickly walking as to avoid running into anyone. Arriving at the garden, she was surprised to see Glorfindel sitting on one of the stone benches. Groaning inwardly, she turned to leave when his voice caught her off guard. "Lady Calaerneth, what a surprise to see you here. What brings you out here this early?"

"Lord Glorfindel, I thought I might watch the sunrise. I could not sleep any longer, and as I am not particularly hungry, I thought I would come out here."

Glorfindel could not help but notice Calaerneth's face seemed a little careworn. Scooting over, he motioned for her to sit next to him. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" he asked, giving her a winsome smile. "Although I must say, it does look like it might storm later."

Cal glanced at the sky and had to agree it certainly was beautiful, arrayed with bright reds, yellows, oranges and even a hint of pink, yet how Glorfindel knew it might storm, later, she had no idea. Perhaps it was an ability all warriors picked up.

Getting up, Glorfindel stretched. "Well, I will be going now, I do not wish to disturb your solitude."

"You are not bothering me, please do not leave on my account."

"Are you certain?" he asked sitting back down.

Cal nodded, making an effort to smile.

Glorfindel breathed in the morning air. "This is one of my most favorite spots to come when I wish to be alone or watch the sun rise and set. Though I must admit, it is not quite as lovely as Sîdh Nîn, a beautiful reflecting pond on the other side of the valley. Very picturesque."

Calaerneth's eyes slid toward Glorfindel, a curious look upon her face. "Sîdh Nîn? I have never seen it."

Feigning shock, Glorfindel gasped. "What? Well, that is unacceptable. I could show you if you like…" he said with slight hesitation in his voice.

"As tempting as the offer sounds, I could not possibly impose on your plans. Perhaps another time," Calaerneth neatly excused herself.

Then Glorfindel smiled broadly. "Consider them canceled! We'll need to ride. Do you ride?"

Cal could not help but wonder if this was another ploy to get her to clear him or if he was truly sincere; either way, the offer was very tempting, and she could use the distraction after last night.

"Yes, I do ride," Cal told him and then after thinking a few seconds more, accepted his offer. "But I need to change into some better clothes first." Glorfindel looked immaculate in his soft blue tunic, neatly pressed and highly polished boots; he was fit for a fine dinner, and she looked ready to muck the stables.

"Nonsense! You are lovely just as you are! I will meet you at the stables in two minutes." With a cheeky grin, Glorfindel took off towards the stables to wait for Calaerneth.

A few minutes later, Cal arrived at the stables, her small leather bag in tow, she was not surprised in the least when she noticed Glorfindel waiting for her with a hamper underneath his arm. He probably already had it ready, and assumed I would travel with him, she thought to herself. If Cal was to be honest with herself, this whole trip seemed too well planned, and if she were not so tired and distracted from last night, she probably would have been slightly upset with him.

Raising a brow at him, she slowly approached.

"What? I was planning on eating by the pond later anyway," he smirked as he finished tacking Cal's horse. "I took the liberty of preparing your horse. I hope you do not mind."

Giving a small smile, Cal walked over to the horse Glorfindel had finished readying for her. She was a young mare, pitch black with a speck of white between her eyes. "She is beautiful," Cal said petting her muzzle. "What is her name?"

Glorfindel gave a soft smile as he watched her affectionately stroke the horse's muzzle. "Her name is Mornel. Quite a fitting name don't you think?"

"Black, yes, I think it fits her nicely." Looking at Glorfindel, she motioned to the horses. "So, are you ready to leave? If a storm is coming, we should probably head off, so we get back before it hits."

"Yes, you are probably right," he stated, hooking the hamper to Asfaloth. "Do you need help mounting Mornel?" Glorfindel asked.

Cal rolled her eyes playfully before she mounted Mornel with ease. "No, I think I can get on my horse just fine."

Chuckling, Glorfindel mounted Asfaloth. "I can see that. Well, if you are ready, then let us be off."

Motioning for Glorfindel to lead the way, the two rode off to Sîdh Nîn. The ride was relatively quiet. Since arriving at Imladris a few weeks ago, today was the first time Calaerneth had been outside the Valley walls. She never dreamed that the surrounding forest could hold such beauty. The tall trees swayed gently overhead, and flowers ranging from purple to yellow dotted the green path. Ever so often, she would glimpse small creatures such as deer, rabbits and even two foxes.

The young maiden would have been content just riding and enjoying the beauty the land had to offer, but within thirty minutes, the two arrived at the place Glorfindel had dubbed Sîdh Nîn. "Well, this is it," the golden-haired ellon said, pulling Asfaloth to a stop. Dismounting, he offered his hand to help Calaerneth off Mornel, which she accepted.

"This place is lovely," she said, admiring the landscape. "Do you come here often?"

"Not as much as I would like," Glorfindel admitted. "As captain of the guard, I am often kept busy back in Imladris, but I try to come here a couple of times a month when time permits."

"I can see why," she murmured, still holding onto Glorfindel's arm as they strolled towards an arbor near a perfectly glassy large pond.

Glorfindel smiled as he watched Cal look around her, completely oblivious to anything else. And why wouldn't she be? He had been coming here for centuries, and still its pristine beauty took his breath away. "Here is what I have affectionately named Sîdh Nîn, and look," he said pointing off in the distance, "there are some swans."

Cal looked to where he pointed and saw the large pond. Unlike other ponds she had seen growing up, this one was calm, crystal clear and made one feel like nothing could trouble them. Gliding on the pond with grace and elegance, followed closely by at least six hatchlings, were two large white swans.

"They are gorgeous," Cal whispered, letting go of his arm to get a closer look. "They remind me of the great ships back home."

"Yes, I suppose they do, "Glorfindel replied coming to stand next to her. "Did you know swans mate for life?"

"No, I did not know that," Cal replied and appraised Glorfindel who still gazed at the swans gliding across the pond without causing so much as a ripple. "They are not so very different from us, I suppose."

Glorfindel opened his mouth as if to reply, but was caught off guard when big fat raindrops began to hit the pond like stones. Seconds later, a bright flash of lightning followed by a massive thunderclap spooked Mornel. Glorfindel tried to calm the frightened mare but to no avail. When the second clap of thunder boomed, she broke free and bolted.

"We need to get to the arbor which is nearly a quarter mile from here," Glorfindel called out taking Cal by the hand and started to bolt for the destination.

As the two ran as fast as they could, the rain poured in torrents as if Elrond had let the Bruinen loose soaking anything in its path. Two minutes later, the two made it to the arbor sopping wet. There wasn't a dry article of clothing on them. Glorfindel looked at Cal horror-stricken, his golden hair, dripping creating a puddle around his feet. "I am so sorry, my lady. I knew a storm was on its way, but I thought it would have waited until much later."

Looking over at Glorfindel, who looked like a drowned rat, Cal did the last thing Glorfindel thought she would do—she started laughing. "You should see yourself, my lord. You are a sight!" she said through fits of laughter.

Glorfindel stared at her, entranced by her laugh. "Well," he started coming to, "you do not look much better yourself," and he began laughing. When the laughter died down, the two wrung the water from their hair and clothes and watched the rain fall together.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Glorfindel asked moments later.

Raising a perfect brow, Cal turned and looked at Glorfindel. "That would depend on the question."

Fiddling with his hands, Glorfindel searched for the right words. "Was there anything troubling you earlier?"

Calaerneth laughed. "I am supposed to be asking  _you_  the questions!"

"I know, only…I would rather see you smile." In a moment of boldness, Glorfindel reached up and softly caressed her cheek.

Feeling her heart speed up, Cal leaned into his touch. Glorfindel stared intently into her eyes, noticing for the first time how green they were, like the dark emerald leaves of the laurelas flower, and the way the raindrops beaded her lashes, her skin dewy and bright in the morning light. Glorfindel slowly leaned in towards her.

"Oh, look, it's stopped raining!" Calaerneth said, glancing past him, pointing into the horizon.

Shaking his golden head, Glorfindel looked up to where she was pointing. "I see it has," he agreed flatly.

Turning back to him, her green eyes shining, she clapped her hands together. "Do you think the ground is too wet for your picnic? I am famished!" Skipping breakfast had caught up to her.

Bending down, Glorfindel fished through the hamper before pulling out a large wooly blanket. "I am always prepared, my lady. Shall we go find a suitable spot?"

"You have thought of everything…and so quickly too!" Cal could not resist adding.

Smiling, Glorfindel led Calaerneth underneath the boughs of a large oak tree and spread out the blanket as Cal watched on amusedly. Sitting down, Glorfindel patted a spot next to him. Cal sat down warily. Opening the hamper, he produced two tin cups and a bottle of wine, which he handily uncorked.

"This is all a bit much, Lord Glorfindel. What do you mean by all this?" she asked frankly. She knew he wanted to get on her good side to sign off on his release papers early, but she rather hoped he would have the decency to admit it. She liked the friendly, charming side of this elf, but she would much rather see him be sincere.

However, the mighty elf lord merely laughed and poured the wine. "I feel bad for my earlier behavior and want to make it up to you," he replied, handing her a cup.

Setting the cup down she watched him fix her a plate of roast tea sandwiches, vegetables, and a bit of fruit, all the while thinking about the bet and his manipulative scheming. Taking a small bite of her sandwich, she smiled sweetly. "You know, there might be a few elves in Imladris who would look at your recent attention toward me and say you are only being nice to get into my good graces."

Nearly spitting out his sandwich, he quickly recovered. "Swallowed wrong," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. When he had fully recovered, he set his sandwich down and looked up at her. "Isn't it terrible how people gossip? I would rather people say Lord Glorfindel finds Lady Calaerneth to be lovely beyond measure."

Upon hearing Glorfindel and seeing him gazing warmly at her, Cal could not help but blush. Sure, it was all an act to get in her good graces, but Valar! He was still so charming, and what was worse, she found it difficult to resist his charms!

Clearing her throat, Cal glanced out into the field behind Glorfindel and noticed all the wildflowers covering the hillside. It certainly would not hurt to put some distance between them. "Do you mind if I gather some flowers?"

"Of course not, my lady. Of course, they will not be near as lovely as you," he said smoothly with a slight grin playing at his lips.

Blushing even more, Cal quickly stood to her feet and rushed off to pick flowers, leaving Lord Glorfindel alone with his thoughts.

As soon as she left and was a relatively safe distance away, Glorfindel decided to take a peek inside her leather bag. It had scarcely left her reach the entire outing. Opening the bag up, he spied her notebook. "I wonder what she has written about me?" he murmured. His curiosity won out, and he opened the book to where she had a blue ribbon marking her spot. Noticing a line of laurelas flowers she sketched, he could not help but smirk; however, when he turned the page, what he saw made him drop the book as though it burned him.

Drawn meticulously in the center of the page was Ecthelion's jewel, the one he always wore.

Why would Calaerneth draw this, and better yet, how would she even know about this jewel? Not wanting to think about it any longer, he quickly stuffed the notebook back in her bag, forcing the thought from his mind. He did not want to think about it, not any of it! —not the jewel, not Ecthelion, and certainly not Gondolin.

Shaking his head as though in a fog, he turned his attention towards Calaerneth and watched her pick flowers listening to her hum a familiar song. Wanting to get as far away from her accursed notebook, he decided to join her.

"Care for some company, my lady?" Glorfindel asked grinning.

Looking up at him, with her arms full of flowers, she smiled. "If you like. Thank you for bringing me out here today. This was just what I needed."

Glorfindel cocked his head to the side with a curious look on his face. "Needed for what?"

Calaerneth sighed feeling a little sheepish. "I didn't sleep well at all last night. I had a dream which well… you know…" she hesitated. "Well, coming here really helped me to forget."

Glorfindel nodded his head in agreement. "No one understands the need to forget more than I," he said gently closing the gap in between them.

Suddenly, Calaerneth became painfully aware of just how close Glorfindel was to her. Feeling him lace his fingers through hers, he brought her hand up for a kiss. Just as they reached his lips, Cal in a huge panic, thrust her freshly picked wildflowers in his face and shrieked.

Glorfindel dropped her hand immediately, his eyes wide in equal parts terror and shock.

"I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, "a huge June bug just crawled onto my hand and well, you saw my reaction."

At first, he stared at her with a stunned look upon his face, but then he started laughing. "It isn't in my hair, is it?" he asked, feigning horror.

"No, it flew off," Cal replied merrily as she picked some stray blossoms from the ends of his hair.

Right in the middle of plucking out another flower, Glorfindel caught her hand and pulled her in until they were only an inch apart. "Thank you for coming with me today," he told Calaerneth sincerely as his fingers traced tender circles across the soft skin of her hand. "I know you said it helped you forget, but it was good for me as well. I didn't realize…but being with you, you have a very soothing presence."

With the softest of smiles, Glorfindel lifted her hand to his lips for a second time, and this time, Calaerneth had nothing to toss in his face. Their eyes locked as his soft lips brushed against her skin, and her breath hitched. She could not believe how intense his eyes were, almost like he could see right through her. Unwittingly, Calaerneth took a step back, extricating her hand from his. "I…I dropped all my flowers," she finally said lamely, and she stooped to gather the loose stems.

"Watch out for June bugs," he teased.

"No worries. The enormous one is in your hair," she chuckled.

"What?! Where is it? Get it out!" he said, pretending to panic as he checked the ends of his hair, and just like that, the moment was over, and they returned to their easy companionable conversation.

An hour later, the two decided to return to Imladris. When they reached Asfaloth back at the arbor, Glorfindel realized Mornel had not returned. "She must have fled during the storm to the stables. You will have to ride with me on Asfaloth."

Cal could have sworn a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. Cringing inwards, she relented and allowed Glorfindel to help her onto his horse. "I am sorry about this, my lady." As he lifted her on, she felt her heart speed up as the heat of his hands burned straight through the damp fabric of her tunic.

The ride back home was silent except for Calaerneth's humming of the song from earlier. The tune was so familiar. "If you do not mind my asking, where did you learn that song? I have heard it before."

Turning her head around to look at him, she shrugged. "It is just a little song I have always hummed to myself. I do not know where I first learned it."

For the second time that day, an uneasy feeling passed over Glorfindel. He understood why finding the sketch of the jewel rattled him, but Calaerneth's pretty little melody should cause him no discomfort. It was just that ill nagging feeling, prodding the back of his mind, as if he should remember something, but could not. He pushed the song from his mind as well, and the two continued the ride home in silence.

When they returned to the stables, Glorfindel offered to walk her to her room. When they reached her door, he smiled as a suitor might. "Thank you for such a lovely afternoon."

"I should be thanking you," she said and raised her eyes, laughing softly. As Glorfindel leaned in, Calaerneth shoved the rest of the flowers into his chest. "These are for you. Thank you again for a lovely time." And she quickly shut the door in his face.

When she heard him leave, Cal leaned against the door breathing heavily as she brought both her hands up to cool her burning cheeks. He was very persistent…and she was not sure how much longer she could easily dodge his advances…or if she even wanted to. Which was crazy, she reminded herself, because she knew what he was doing. He was only using her, but even so…when she recalled the intensity in his eyes by the reflecting pool, she could not help but wonder what it would be like to let him kiss her, really kiss her. From the way her heart hammered in her chest right now only thinking about it, she might not survive.

* * *

Sîdh Nîn - Elvish translation for Peaceful Waters


	9. Chapter 9

Rule # 5 It is your duty as a healer to help your patients come to the truth in their own way.

She slammed the door in his face. Unbelievable, really. Glorfindel stared for a second at the bunch of wildflowers she had thrust into his hand and winced at how quickly she had managed to disentangle herself from his advances, for the fourth time that day too! If he was a lesser elf, his ego might have sorely smarted at such a rejection. As it was, Glorfindel certainly was not used to the feeling.

He chuffed at the flowers in his hand and then after a long glance at her door, walked away. She had dismissed him out of hand like some elf barely past his majority. Glorfindel gritted his teeth at the thought, recalling how she managed to distance herself from him on their outing.

Charming her into falling for him was proving much more challenging than he had originally anticipated. This was not working out at all how he had imagined. In his mind, she would already be swooning in his arms and more than ready to sign off on his reinstatement to the guard.

The truth was, Glorfindel was not quite sure, but he might like her even more because of her blithe resistance to his charms. He stopped at the end of the long hall and folded his arms as he recalled the brightness in her eyes after they had made a run for the arbor in the rain. It had been a long time, a very long time since he found any elleth so appealing. He found himself genuinely liking her—her wit, her personality, her easy laughter.

And she had spurned every even slightly romantic attempt on his part.

Then Glorfindel smiled, just a little, gripped the flowers in his hand, and crossed the courtyard toward his own suite of rooms. He knew, or at least he was fairly sure, that she was attracted to him too. There had been more than one moment when he had caught her watching him, and for those few seconds in the rain, she had leaned into the touch of his hand against her cheek. He had watched her eyes darken, heard her breath catch, and he had wanted to kiss her right then and there. And not because he wanted to get reinstated, but because he genuinely wanted her. Wanted to know if her lips were as petal soft as they seemed, wanted to know how she might feel if he pulled her into his arms and held her.

Glorfindel stopped at his door, his hand still on the knob, and for a second there, he stared at the thing blankly, while his mind churned over this latest revelation. He wanted Calaerneth—and not because of some silly wager with Elrond's sons and not because of his schemes to get reinstated—but because he was attracted to her. More than he cared to admit. Glorfindel sucked in his breath sharply and then let himself into his rooms, quickly pulling the door behind him. He strode into his bedroom in four long strides, yanking his tunic over his head as he went. Glorfindel wadded it mercilessly into a ball and chucked it toward his laundry hamper and then flopped longways across his bed, letting his long hair hang over the side.

Then he palmed his face with both hands and wondered when the lines to his relationship with Calaerneth had become so blurred. It was not just that he was attracted to her, but that he was feeling attraction, period. For long had his heart belonged to someone else, and when she had died in Gondolin so long ago, so had that part of him.

* * *

Later that evening, Calaerneth tried to sleep but found her mind still dwelt on her dream the night before. The more she thought about it and the drawing in her book, the more she knew rest would elude her that night.

Perhaps I should speak to Lord Elrond about this, she thought. Getting out of bed, she put her robe on and went to talk to him knowing he more than likely would still be making his last-minute rounds in the infirmary.

When she arrived, Elrond looked up from his table where he was picking up some herbs, and he smiled softly at her. "Good evening Cal, could you not sleep?"

"No, I had…a dream last night which still weighs heavily on my mind. Do you need some help putting things away?" she asked, hoping he would not mind her company for just a little while.

Sensing Cal needed the company, he nodded. "I would greatly appreciate your help, thank you."

Walking over to the table, Cal started picking up the instruments and putting them in their proper place before helping the elf lord with the herbs and ointments. The two worked in silence, and within minutes, they were finished. Elrond met her eyes as he put the last bottle away. "Let us take a walk outside and enjoy the night air. The stars are beautiful this time of night."

The pair of elves smiled as they made their way outside to the veranda on the northern wall of the infirmary and sank down upon one of the large stone benches. At first, they merely both enjoyed the warm, gentle breeze and the soft smell of wisteria, and Elrond waited for Cal to speak. Being an elf of great wisdom and age, he had developed an uncanny ability to be able to tell when someone needed to get something off his or her chest.

After several long moments of silence, Cal described her dream from last night. Elrond did not say anything until she had finished speaking but instead listened thoughtfully, and Cal was not sure if she felt silly or worried. "That is an interesting dream. Tell me, in your dream, did you see yourself, or was it someone else that you saw?"

Cal thought for a second. "I do not know. I believe it was me for it felt like it was, but it might have been someone else."

"I see. Well, this dream could be a portent of what was or what will be. I recommend that you try to sketch what you see, or take as many notes as you can as soon as you wake up."

"I did…at least I think it was me. When I woke up, I noticed this sketch in my journal," she replied handing Elrond the book with the drawing of the jewel.

Sucking in his breath, Elrond took the book. "I have seen this jewel before…long ago," he said softly, his fingers gently touching the drawing as if lost in a memory.

"You have?" Cal's voice was quiet. "Where did you see it and who did it belong to?"

"Gondolin. It belonged to Ecthelion," he answered not taking his eyes off the jewel. Finally, Elrond looked up, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Calaerneth, I think you may need to consider the possibility that you are having these dreams for a reason."

Cal's eyes glistened. Although she had a feeling she knew where Elrond was going with this, she could not help but ask, "What reason, Lord Elrond?"

Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it softly. "They are not dreams Cal. They are memories."

* * *

For several hours now, Glorfindel tried to sleep but found that his mind could not stop wandering back to  _her_. Getting out of bed, he padded over to a beautifully carved wooden chest and opened it. After rummaging around for a moment, he found what he was looking for. A small painting of his long dead betrothed, Luthagwen. For several seconds, he could do nothing but stare at it, tears starting to sting his eyes. He needed to see her again, to remind himself of what he had lost so long ago, to remind himself why his dalliance with Cal was only just that, a dalliance, a diversion. But the more he stared at the miniature, the more the lines blurred between her and Calaerneth. Both she and Cal had striking similarities: the dark green eyes, the black hair. No wonder he was attracted to Calaerneth! She reminded him of what he had lost—even the silly tune she hummed earlier.

No, Glorfindel censored himself. He was beginning to sound ridiculous. Calaerneth was  _not_  Luthagwen; they were just similar, painfully so. He shook his head and carefully returned the painting back inside the chest. It was shameful almost, these feelings. Glorfindel swallowed bitterly, trying to rid himself of the knot rising in his throat. There was no point in him denying the truth, especially to himself. He was attracted to Cal. She was beautiful, and witty, and kind...and had dark hair and green eyes, just as Luthagwen had black hair and green eyes. He had wanted to kiss Calaerneth, more than once this evening—It was a betrayal to the one he once loved more than his own life. It was a slap in her face. What would she think of him now if she knew? Glorfindel staggered to his feet, desperately wanting a drink.

He poured himself a glass of water and then downed it almost immediately. Then he made himself return to his bed and lay down. And when Glorfindel's mind wandered, it was not the memory of Luthagwen's beautiful features he saw, but Calaerneth's. Perhaps it was time to move on and stop living in the past. He had loved Luthagwen for so long, but Calaerneth? She was right here, warm and bright and vibrant...and he had been so lonely for so long. Glorfindel fell asleep imagining the moment when he finally kissed Cal...but first, he had to figure out how to prevent her from slamming the door in his face—again.


	10. Chapter 10

Rule # 8 Even the simplest act of love can bring comfort

Calaerneth loudly shut her door, tears streaming from her eyes her breathing hitched and coming fast. Her body was trembling but from anger, or fear she did not know. In fact, she had no idea how she even got back to her room. The only thing she could remember was the last words from her conversation she had with Elrond.  _"They are not dreams Cal; they are memories."_

Memories.

Memories of a life she never knew she had. She had a family and possibly a husband, and she never knew. Who was this Ecthelion? Was he her lover, her brother, best friend? Why did she keep dreaming of him? Putting her hands on her face, she felt the wetness from the tears that were falling from her eyes. She had no idea that she had even been crying. Suddenly, Calaerneth heard a soft knock on her door.

"Lady Calaerneth? I brought you some tea. Lord Elrond said you might want some." When the maid received no answer, she spoke once more, a hint of worriedness in her voice. "I will just leave it here for you."

When Cal was sure the elleth was gone, she sank to the floor, and putting her hands over her eyes; she sobbed once more, her mind full of doubt and grief for the loss of something she never knew or remember.

* * *

The next day, Glorfindel arrived at the sitting room where Cal led her healing sessions. Knocking on the door, he waited for her to answer and after a few moments of silence, he knocked once more and entered. Right away he was surprised to notice the candles unlit, nor the curtains pulled back. In fact, it looked as if no one had been in this room for days.

Perhaps she is just running late; he thought to himself as he took his usual place on her couch. After some debate, Glorfindel decided he would just wait for her to arrive. While he sat waiting, he concluded he had to come clean to her about his ulterior motives and how his feelings for her had changed. Glorfindel knew that Calaerneth would probably be angry at first, but he could deal with her temper—he had before. She would not be the first female he would feel the wrath of and probably not the last.

As time went on, Glorfindel started to get the feeling she was not going to show up. Having a sinking feeling something was wrong, the golden-haired warrior hurried to Cal's room and knocked. "Cal, are you there? It is I, Glorfindel." When she did not answer, he knocked once more. "Calaerneth, you never showed up for our session. Is everything well?" Glorfindel knew she was there, for he could hear breathing and what sounded like crying. Glancing down at the floor, he noticed the tray of tea and uneaten food.

Something was definitely wrong.

Calaerneth had not answered, was more than likely not going to answer. At least not anytime soon. Sighing with frustration and worry, Glorfindel decided to ask Elrond about Cal. The two worked closely together ever since her arrival, and Glorfindel knew Cal respected Elrond, looked up to him as a mentor. If Cal was upset, Elrond would certainly want to know about it. When he arrived at Elrond's study, however, Glorfindel heard his name from inside the hallway before he ever made it to the door.

"I understand your concern for Glorfindel, but he should not be told, at least not yet. Calaerneth is in shock. She needs time to come to terms with this news."

News?

What on Arda happened to Cal that would cause her not to show up for their counsel sessions or answer her door? Glorfindel wanted answers, and he would get them. As he reached for the door to enter, he heard Elrond continue. "Telling Glorfindel right now would be the worst possible thing we could do; this is not ours to tell, Erestor."

"Normally I would agree with you Elrond, but in this instance, I think you are wrong; however, I will do as you ask and not say anything. I just hope you know what you are doing."

Glorfindel's stomach churned. The very thought of Elrond keeping secrets from him made his heart clench. He knew Elrond would not betray Cal's trust and he respected that; however, Elrond also mentioned his name as well. Glorfindel carefully backed away from the door and made himself draw a long, steadying breath. Determined to get to the bottom of things, he quickly returned to Calaerneth's room and knocked once more. "Cal, I know you are in there. I understand if you do not want to talk to me, but you should not have to be alone. Let me get someone for you."

He was about to knock once more when the door slowly opened enough for him to enter. Across the darkened room, lit only by a trio of candles drowning in their own wax, Calaerneth's bed was crumpled, but decidedly unslept in. When he turned to ask her what was wrong, Cal looked pale and exhausted.

"Cal, what is wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, feeling his heart break at seeing her so hurt and scared. Cal just shook her head numbly. "Is there anything I can do?" Glorfindel inquired, reaching out to take her hand. He could not help but feel like he was intruding; however, he could not just leave her alone the way she was.

Cal looked up at Glorfindel, her green eyes wet. "I want you to kiss me," she whispered.

Glorfindel nearly reeled back in shock at what he just heard––or thought he heard––come from Calaerneth's mouth. "You want me to what?"

"I do not want to think about this anymore," Cal said a bit angrily. "I do not want to think, period. I want you to pull me into your arms and kiss me, really kiss me."

Glorfindel tried to speak but found that words would not come. Cal turned away, her heart churning. "It was a foolish idea. I am sorry. Forget I said anything," she said, brushing past him opening the door for him to leave.

"There is nothing foolish about wanting comfort, Cal," Glorfindel said quietly, meeting her eyes.

The gentleness in his voice broke something inside her, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Swiping at her eyes angrily with her sleeve, Cal watched as Glorfindel advanced slowly toward her, his hands reaching for her. He closed the door, pulled her into his arms. Wiping the tears from her face with his thumb, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Please do not cry. Whatever happened I will help you through this. There is nothing I would not do to see you happy once more," he said tenderly, placing another kiss on her cheek.

She wanted him to kiss her.

Glorfindel had never been so torn. Looking deep into her eyes, Glorfindel had a brief moment where he was unsure whether he should comply with her wish. Yes, he wanted to kiss her, he had since the day at the arbor, but the wiser part of him knew he would be taking advantage of her. But when her green eyes met his, silently pleading with him to take her pain away even if only for a second, all doubts disappeared.

He closed the space between them and kissed her.

As his smooth lips touched hers, Cal felt every fiber in her core ignite, her whole world stop, and all memory of her conversation with Elrond disappear. Letting out a soft moan as she felt his lips consuming hers, Calaerneth leaned into his embrace and ran her fingers through his golden hair. His smell, his taste, his lips, his hands, his body, his mouth on hers, the sweet flavor of honey lembas—Glorfindel crowded out every rational thought in her mind. She did not care whether he was just using her or not. All she knew was she needed him right now, and she would take complete advantage of this moment.

Without thinking, Glorfindel wrapped his arms around her neck and leaned into her kiss more. Until now he did not know just how much he wanted, no, needed to feel her lips on his and from the way Cal kissed her, he was pretty sure she felt the same way. All his senses came alive as he deepened his kiss and held her. Glorfindel was acutely aware of how her skin and hair smelled of cherry blossom, and her lips felt like rose petals. If he had any doubts about how he felt about this elleth before, they were gone now. He knew now exactly how much he wanted her.

Glorfindel's restraint was down to its last thread. If he did not break this kiss off now, he would likely end up doing something they both might regret the next morning. Seeing the confused and pained look on her face as to why he stopped he brushed a strand of her black hair out of her face, her lips plump and pink. "Cal, I respect you too much, and I will not do anything to taint your innocence."

Cal nodded and turned away, still breathing heavily. "I understand."

"Cal, I…" he started to say, taking her soft hands in his.

"Please, do not say anything else. Just...just stay with me, please? I do not want to be alone," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Nodding, Glorfindel, led Calaerneth to her bed. There he held her until she fell asleep.

But sleep would not come for Glorfindel, not for many hours, for he felt a stirring in his heart he had not felt since Luthagwen—the all-consuming desire to have and protect, to defend and possess. He cast his eyes upon the innocent curve of her cheek and silently vowed that no other ellon would ever know the softness of her lips.


	11. Chapter 11

Rule # 63 Honesty is sometimes the best medicine

Cal started awake the next morning to the sound of birds chirping outside her window and the rushing of the waterfalls. She could not remember the last time she had such a restful sleep. Calaerneth was about to get up when she felt something around her waist. Looking down, her eyes widened, in a mix of horror and confusion as she realized it was a person's arm!

Carefully and with some difficulty, she turned her head and saw sleeping peacefully next to her, with a soft smile adorning his face, Glorfindel. His golden hair was sprawled out on the pillow, his blue eyes glazed over in Elven sleep. Even asleep this ellon was a gorgeous specimen!

What in the name of Arda is he doing sleeping in my room _?_  She thought, horrified.

Suddenly, the memories of last night came crashing through her mind like a tidal wave.

At first, a sweet smile graced her lips as she recalled the events of the past evening, but the smile was quickly replaced with a mortified look.

They had kissed!

She could remember the kiss with perfect clarity. Every detail playing through her mind. His soft lips moving against hers, the way his hands had pulled her close…and Cal felt her face burn with heat as the mortification sank in.

They had not just kissed once but repeated times, hot and needy kisses, and  _she_  had begged him. What had she been thinking and better yet, what must HE be thinking?! Quickly, and carefully so as to not wake him up, Cal, sprang from her bed to distance herself.

While Cal could not deny that she had indeed enjoyed the feel of his lips against hers, it was how they had come to it. It was not a kiss between two lovers; it had been a comfort kiss. A kiss to try and forget the unwanted news of her uncertain past. And to make matters worse, she had played right into Glorfindel's hand. After all, he was only using her to be reinstated!

Cal did not know how she could ever face him again. Needing to get out of the same proximity as Glorfindel, Cal went to her wardrobe. Reaching inside, she chose a light blue gown trimmed with silver braid.

"Surely you are not planning to change?"

Cal spun towards the bed. Sure enough, Glorfindel was awake and had risen on one elbow. "Glorfindel, I don't…" she stammered at a loss for words. Taking a deep breath, she tried once more. "I am not sure what happened between us last night, but…"

"I think you do, Cal," Glorfindel said huskily, his azure eyes showing a hint of desire. Standing up, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Last night, we shared a special moment, and whether you want to admit it or not, I know you enjoyed it as did I," Glorfindel said, walking toward her.

Calaerneth blushed once more. She knew Glorfindel was right. She had enjoyed it, and a part of her wanted to feel those lips against hers once more. "Glorfindel, you must think I am weak begging you to kiss me. It matters not if we enjoyed it. I made a fool out of myself last night."

"I can assure you, my lady, I think no such thing. You were in need of comfort. I do not know what happened that has made you so unsure and upset, but you did not make a fool out of yourself. I could have easily walked out and left, but I chose to remain. I wanted to give in to your request."

Placing a gentle hand on her cheek, he leaned in closer until their noses nearly touched. "I would do so again if you would but let me."

Feeling herself tremble, Cal nodded and leaning in went to kiss him when suddenly a knock sounded on her door, startling them. "Cal, it is Elrond. I wanted to speak to you about Glorfindel."

Glorfindel cursed. "I forgot. I was supposed to observe the recruits this morning!" Although Glorfindel was on suspension, Elrond still wanted him to be on the training grounds.

"He can't see you in here like this!" Panic filling both of them, Cal, pushed Glorfindel toward her bed. "Quick, hide under there!" As a last thought, Cal added in, "And don't breathe!"

Glorfindel did not have to be told twice, and with some difficulty, he managed to fit underneath Cal's bed. Holding his breath, he stayed as still as he could as Cal opened her door.

Straightening her nightgown, and willing herself to relax, Cal opened the door. "My Lord Elrond. What can I do for you?" she asked as calmly and natural as she could.

Lord Elrond raised a brow questioningly. He had been around long enough to know when someone was hiding something. "Good morning, Cal. I am sorry to bother you this early, but I was wondering if you had seen Glorfindel? He was supposed to be observing the recruits with my sons, but Elladan claimed that he never showed this morning."

Calaerneth's mind froze. What did she tell him? She was almost sure that any lie she told him, Elrond would be able to see through, but she could not very well tell him that Glorfindel was in her room hiding under her bed. Finally, after a few seconds of hesitation, she spoke. "Well…I um…" she stammered, trying not to look too guilty. "Yes, Glorfindel. No, I have not seen him. I have been in my room all morning." Which in reality she had been—just not alone.

"I see," Elrond replied slowly, noticing her nervous behavior. Peering over her shoulder, the elf lord, thought he saw slight movement underneath her bed but decided not to question her about it. "I am sorry to bother you. I understand that you have a therapy session with him this afternoon. When you see him, will you tell him I need to speak with him?"

Slowly stepping to the side to try and block her bed, Cal nodded. "Yes, my lord. I will give him the message."

Elrond bowed his head. "Thank you, Cal." Giving her a slight smile, Elrond turned and walked away.

When Cal was sure he was gone, Cal breathed a heavy sigh of relief. For a moment, she thought she was going to faint. As it was, she was almost positive that he had seen Glorfindel under her bed and she knew without a doubt, by her behavior, that Elrond knew she was hiding something.

Closing her door, Cal banged her head against her door. "What am I going to do now? I have never been good at hiding things. He is sure to know something is amiss!" Feeling a firm hand on her shoulder, Cal turned and not even realizing it, leaned her head on his chest.

"It will be all right. I will just tell Elrond that I went for an impromptu walk to clear my mind. He need not know I was here. Now, get dressed, and get some breakfast. We have our therapy session in nearly an hour. If we miss that, then Elrond will definitely know something is going on." Kissing her brow, Glorfindel smiled and went to grab some breakfast before his next meeting with Cal.

* * *

Glorfindel nervously paced the room of Cal's office as he waited for her to arrive. His mind could not stop thinking about last night. His mind whirred as he tried to contain his feelings about how he found Cal crying and scared. She would never admit to being scared, at least not to him, but he could see the fear clearly in her green eyes. It was the same look he had in his eyes shortly after his nightmares began appearing. Something was wrong and one way or another, Glorfindel was going to find out what it was.

The golden-haired warrior's mind then drifted to the kiss they had shared. It mattered not if Cal had begged him to kiss her; the fact was they kissed, and he found that he enjoyed it and wanted to kiss her again. That realization brought to his attention the damn bet he made with the twins. Before Cal and he had shared a kiss, Glorfindel knew he wanted to come clean with Cal and end the bet, but now, well, now his mind was made up. Not only would he come clean to her, but he was also going to tell her about Luthagwen and how he was ready to move on. Possibly with her.

He was just beginning to wonder if she was going to come when the door opened and Cal walked in carrying her journal as usual. She was dressed nicely with her long black hair pulled back in an intricate braid, and she smiled gently at him. When Glorfindel caught her gaze, he could not help but notice the dark circles under her usually sparkling eyes. Cal had not slept for days, and Glorfindel was becoming increasingly worried about her.

"I am sorry I am late. My hair was giving me problems this morning," Cal said as she sat in her usual chair next to the couch. "Shall we begin?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could talk. There are some…things that I need to get off my chest." Glorfindel's heart sped up. There was no turning back now.

Calaerneth felt dread coursing through her body. What did he want to talk about? The kiss? How she practically threw herself at him? A part of her wanted to tell him, no, but the fact that this ellon was asking to talk instead of her poking and prodding him to, caused her to push her own fear out of the way. "I suppose we could talk. Is this about last night?" Her voice sounded strange, almost fearful.

Glorfindel sat on the couch and took a deep breath. "Yes and no. I mean it leads up to our kiss." There was no good or clever way around the reality of his less than honorable plan to use her. Without even thinking, Glorfindel blurted it out. "Cal, I was using you to be reinstated into the Guard."

Cal arched a brow and just stared at her patient. Although she had known about this, it was something entirely different actually to hear him admit it. "I know."

Not sure he heard her correctly, Glorfindel stared at her. "You know? How and for how long?"

"I overheard the Lords Elladan and Elrohir talking about it after we had lunch that afternoon."  
Glorfindel placed his head in his hands and groaned. This whole time he thought he was playing her, but it turned out it was Cal playing him!

"I just want to know why? Did you think I would not find out?" Cal tried not to get angry but was finding it difficult not to.

"It is complicated, Cal, but I swear my feelings for you have changed and not just because of last night." Glorfindel looked at Cal with pleading eyes in the hope that she would allow him to explain and perhaps find it in her heart to forgive him.

Taking a deep breath, Cal motioned for him to continue. "Well, we have an hour, so please, enlighten me. Try to make me understand why you would go out of your way to hurt or humiliate me."

"It was never my intention to hurt or humiliate you. I desperately wanted to be reinstated into the Guard as Captain. It is one of the rare things that seem to help me forget my past. Staying busy helps me ignore the fact I still dream about it every night." Glorfindel closed his eyes and willed himself to continue.

"I did not want to admit I needed help. When Elrond asked you to help me, I felt betrayed. I felt as though he took advantage of our trust. I was so angry. Then to make matters worse, he suspended me until you felt I was ready to be reinstated. I am used to being in charge, leading, being in control. Losing my position in the guard—I did not know what to do with myself because the one thing that helped me feel in control was taken from me. When Elladan and Elrohir confronted me, what started as friendly banter turned into a bet." Glorfindel could not look at Cal. He felt ashamed and wanted nothing more than for this to be all a dream.

"I see," Cal said flatly. "So, when did your feelings change from a bet to something more?"

"When we went to the arbor. It was when we ran to get out of the rain. I wanted to kiss you then, and it had nothing to do with my reinstatement. It was because  _I_ wanted to. It was because you looked beautiful with rain in your hair and on your eyelashes. I know you think I kissed you last night because you begged me to, but the truth is that I wanted to kiss you, Calaerneth. I meant what I said last night Cal. I respect you too much to hurt you anymore."

Cal's heart softened. Although she had every right to be upset with him, she found she could not stay angry. Glancing up at Glorfindel, she could tell he wanted to tell her more but seemed unsure. "Glorfindel, what is it? You look like you have something else to tell me?"

"Is it that obvious?" he chuckled.

Taking a seat next to him, Cal took his hand in hers. "You can tell me."

Nodding, Glorfindel came out with it. "You once asked me why I had trouble sleeping. You wanted to know what was bothering me. My dreams are not only about my death." Cal's eyes widened. Glorfindel was actually opening up to her.

Swallowing hard, he continued. "During my first life, I was betrothed to a young elleth. Her name was Luthagwen. We were...deeply in love. She was my best friend. She made me laugh at the simplest of things. She...saw me, knew the real me...made me feel like I was more than just a warrior. She was my everything, the reason why I was excited to wake up every morning. We planned on getting married after the Festival of Tarnin Austa."

By now Glorfindel was struggling to keep his emotions under control. "But we were never to marry. That day, the day of the Festival and we were to wed, Gondolin was attacked. I told her to run, and I would be right behind her. Eventually, I met her in the secret tunnel, and as we raced toward safety, it appeared…the fire demon. I told her to run with the others, but she refused. While the Balrog and I fought, I failed to see an Orc arrow aimed right at her. The last thing I heard was her scream for help before I saw her fall over the edge and to her death." When he had finished, he looked up into Cal's liquid eyes as he blinked away tears of his own. "I never forgave myself for her death, nor could I bring myself to move on. Until now."

Cal did not know what to say, think, or feel. Glorfindel just admitted to her that he had been betrothed, and his true love had died. After she wiped her eyes, she responded. "So, you have spent your entire second life fighting evil to avenge her?"

Glorfindel shrugged. "Not just to avenge her, but to make sure no one else under my protection has to suffer what I did. I will admit that I did not succeed in that aspect, but that is not my tale to tell."

"Do you still love her?" Cal asked timidly.

Glorfindel gaped at Cal, not quite understanding her intent. "Of course, I still love her. Why wouldn't I?"

Realizing just how crazy her question was, Cal laughed embarrassed. "I am sorry, let me clarify myself. I meant, have you been able to forgive yourself and let go? I am asking because of last night, and you said you could not let go until now."

Understanding what she was getting at, he squeezed her hand. "Calaerneth, if you are asking me if I kissed you last night out of pity, I can assure you I did not. I kissed you because I felt something for you that I had not felt since Luthagwen. I realize now that this whole time I was afraid to let go. I feared dishonoring her memory by allowing myself to be happy. You helped me see that, whether you realize it or not. I know now she would not want me to hold on to the past. And as for forgiving myself, that is something with which I still struggle. I do not know if I will ever truly forgive myself for her death."

"Glorfindel, for you to heal fully, you have to forgive yourself for her death. It was not your fault she was killed."

Glorfindel started to get flustered and made to stand, but Cal stopped him. "Glorfindel, listen to me, please. You said that Luthagwen would not want you to hold onto your past and you are right. But that also includes not blaming yourself either. For you to be truly happy, forgiving yourself is a huge part of that. Now, it will not come overnight, but you have taken the first real step in that direction. I am proud of you."

He knew Cal was right, but he was not sure how he could let go. He knew he could move on and let her go, but letting go of the guilt surrounding her death was different. Cal seemed to see the inner struggle and gave him a reassuring smile.

"One step at a time. We will do this together. And not just as client and therapist but as friends. I will be here for you."

"Thank you, Cal. Can you ever forgive me for making that horrible bet against you?"

"I can forgive you, and I have. And I hope you can forgive me for throwing myself at you like that last night."

Glorfindel took Cal in his arms and held her. "There is nothing to forgive. You obviously are going through something and needed someone to comfort you. If you ever need to talk about it, I am here."

Feeling herself become emotional once more, Cal nodded. "I can't tell you everything, not yet, but I can tell you that apparently, you are not the only one with a past life."

Glorfindel dropped his hands in shock. "You mean you are…"

Cal wiped the tears from her eyes. "A reborn elf, but that is all I can say right now because I don't even know all the details."

"When did you find out?" he asked, his head still reeling.

"A few days ago." Cal looked like she wanted to say more but Glorfindel could tell this was still too much for her to deal with let alone talk about.

"Cal, you do not need to say anymore. I know all too well what you are feeling right now. When you are ready to talk more about it, I am here. But take it from someone who has been where you are, do not hold it in as I did. It will only lead you to self-destruction."

Throwing herself into his arms, Cal allowed herself to cry. "Thank you, Glorfindel."

Stroking her hair, he just held her. "You are welcome."

* * *

It was well over an hour since Glorfindel had come out with the truth and Cal confided in him about her being a reborn elf. Although both still had ways to go with their healing, they both came to an understanding and more profound respect for one another.

While escorting Glorfindel out of the room, Cal remembered Elrond's message. "Before I forget again, Lord Elrond wished to talk with you right away. He said he had something important he wanted to talk to you about."

"Then I had better go and see him. He hates to be kept waiting." Chuckling, Glorfindel hugged Cal. "Remember what I told you. If you ever need to talk, or you have any frightening memories or dreams, come to me. Day or night. I know how scary something like this can be, especially when the memories first begin to appear."

"I will, I promise. And the same goes for you," replied Cal returning the embrace.

"Okay, I will see you later then. Do not lose hope." Smiling, Glorfindel turned and headed toward Elrond's study, neither realizing that said lord had seen the exchange between the two with a concerned frown on his face.

* * *

Elrond poured himself another drink as he waited for Glorfindel to appear. Earlier when he visited Cal's room to ask if she had seen his friend, he could have sworn he saw him hiding under her bed. He told himself it was ridiculous—why would he be in her room at that hour? Yet, when he asked Cal if she had seen him, she appeared nervous and tried to block his view of her bed.

Later on, Elrond intended on asking Cal once more if she saw the golden-haired warrior as he had not been seen all that day when he overheard the two talking. He was about to turn to go back to his study when he noticed the two exchange a very close embrace, confirming his suspicions that the movement in her room earlier was in fact, Glorfindel. Now new concerns arose. Were the two involved in a romantic relationship that went beyond that of healer and patient?

Elrond sighed and took a sip of his wine. He had intended on reinstating his friend due to rising concerns of Orcs making bolder attacks, and the guard needed Glorfindel's leadership. After witnessing the exchange between Cal and his friend, however, any doubts he may have been having about reinstating him had been resolved.

As he pondered how to resolve this issue, a knock sounded on his door.

"Come in."

Looking up from his desk, Elrond softly smiled as Glorfindel entered the room.

"I was told you wished to speak with me about matters of importance?" asked Glorfindel, taking a seat across from his friend.

Elrond nodded and poured his friend a drink. "Yes, thank you for coming. I wish to talk about your current suspension as my Captain."

Confused, Glorfindel set down his glass. "What about it?"

"I know I told you that you were suspended from your duties until Calaerneth cleared you, however, it has come to my attention that orcs have been seen crossing our borders as of late, and I need you back on duty to take care of matters."

"What about my meetings with Calaerneth?" Glorfindel could not help but wonder at Elrond's motives. If Elrond spied him this morning in Cal's room, was he using that as a reason to put some distance between the two?

"I will talk with her later. But as of now, you are reinstated into the guard."

"With all due respect, my lord. I still wish to continue my sessions with her. I find my dreams less disturbing since working with her."

And she needs me just as much, he thought to himself.

Elrond raised a brow. "With you going back on patrol, I am not sure you will have time to continue."

"Just the same, I want to continue. I will find the time."

Elrond sighed in resignation. "Very well. But Glorfindel…be careful. Do not let your feelings get in the way of your sworn duty."

He knew. Glorfindel paused in mid-drink. There was no doubt in his mind—Elrond knew about this morning. "I will be careful, I promise."

"Then that is all. I will let Cal know you have been cleared but are still under her care."

Standing, Glorfindel bowed and left. When Elrond was left alone, he slowly got to his feet and went to find Cal taking a sealed letter with him.

A few minutes later, Elrond found Cal alone in the garden reading a book.

Sensing someone was there, Cal glanced up and saw Lord Elrond standing before her. "My Lord Elrond, please, sit down."

Taking a seat, Elrond thanked her. "What can I do for you?" Cal asked, not sure why he would wish to speak with her.

"I have come to tell you that as of now, Lord Glorfindel has been reinstated; however, he is still under your care and will continue to see you for healing sessions."

Cal could tell that there was more to this conversation and set her book down. "I have a feeling there is more to this than just letting me know Glorfindel is back in the guard."

"Your intuition is correct. I wanted to speak to you about your  _relationship_ with him."

Cal paled. "My relationship, my lord?"

"Cal, I know Lord Glorfindel was in your room this morning, and I saw the two of you together after his session. Now, I am not sure what is going on between you two, but I am concerned—for the both of you."

Cal closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was beyond embarrassing. "My lord, I assure you it is not what you think. Nothing is going on between the two of us."

Elrond did not seem convinced.

"So, he did not sleep in your room last night?"

How did she answer him? Did she tell him the truth? "Yes, he did, but nothing happened. When I did not show up for our session, he came looking for me concerned. When he noticed how upset I was, he stayed with me to keep me company. That is all."

"I see. Did you tell him?" Elrond asked knowing he did not need to elaborate what he meant.

"Not last night, no. But he could still tell something was bothering me, so I confided in him this afternoon."

"Cal, listen to me. Right now is a very vulnerable time for you. Glorfindel is still having issues himself, and I am afraid now with you finding out about your past life, that you might let your emotions get in the way, and it might cause undue pain and heartache for the both of you. I do not want to see either of you hurt. All I ask is that you be careful."

Cal nodded. "I understand. I will be careful. I do not wish to hurt him any more than he already has been."

Smiling, Elrond patted her hand. "Good. Now, I will let you get back to your reading. If you need anything, let me know. My doors are always open to you." As he got up to leave, he remembered the letter. "Oh, I almost forgot. This letter came for you this morning." Handing her the letter, Elrond returned to the house.

As the words from Lord Elrond were sinking in, Cal looked at the letter to see who could be writing to her. When she opened the letter to read it, all color drained from her face, and her eyes widened in horror. At the end in delicate script was the one name she did not want to see—that of her former would-be suitor, Rodwen.


	12. Chapter 12

Rule #52 A healer must learn when to talk and when to keep silent

Calaerneth read the letter over and over again, making her heart pound in her chest like a dwarven hammer, and her stomach turned and tossed like the waves at sea during a storm. How did Rodwen discover where she was? That did not matter. What mattered was that he left Lindon and was on his way here, presumably to force her to return with him back to Mithlond to marry him.

Her, marry him: that egotistical, self-absorbed ellon?! She highly doubted he was in love with her—more like in love with himself and trying to save his reputation after she ditched him to come here. In fact, the more she read his words, the more she became convinced that he cared nothing for her, nor had he changed.

'Spinster...don't know what is best for you...save you from yourself,' she read a few lines from the letter. 'You are running away from something that would benefit you very much. No matter, I will find you and bring you to reason, my love.' No longer able to read the letter, she crumpled it up, her ears burning.

Calaerneth became angrier the more she studied the parchment. Repulsed and tired of the amount of pride this elf had, she jumped to her feet and stormed off to find Glorfindel as she knew he was one of the only people she could stand to be around right now.

* * *

Elladan and Elrohir scarcely could believe their elven ears. "You have been reinstated as the head of Father's guard again?" Elrohir asked, his eyes wide as a full moon.

"So that means that Cal signed off on your release papers then?" Elladan asked in growing excitement. If so, then that meant he won the bet and Elrohir would owe him five gold coins.

Glorfindel turned to face the eldest and gave him a hard glare. "That is Lady Calaerneth to you." Sighing faintly, his voice softened as they continued walking toward the training grounds where he would be sparring for the first time since his suspension. "And no, she did not sign off on my release papers. Your father did."

Both raven-haired ellyn stopped mid-stride and did a double take. "Father—our father—signed off?"

Glorfindel chuckled and kicked a small pebble with the tip of his boot. "Yes, he did. Apparently, the yrch have been seen wandering too close to our borders, and your father needs me to lead the patrol once more." Seeing the disappointed look on Elladan's face and the happy look on Elrohir's, Glorfindel raised a golden brow as he started understanding what those looks meant.

"With that being said, I am sorry to tell you, that neither of you will be winning that gold. I told Cal yesterday about our bet and called it off. However, I will still be seeing her for therapy sessions."

"You told her!" they both said in shocked unison. "She must be furious with us!" Elladan added in.

"She deserved to know the truth, and no, she is not furious. A tad angry, but not furious."

"If I did not know any better," Elrohir started a hint of mirth in his voice. "I would say that you are starting to fall for her…your own therapist!" At this, both twins grabbed their sides as they fell into a fit of laughter.

As Glorfindel turned to pummel the twins, he was abruptly bumped into. Turning around to see who it was, he was met with silence as Glorfindel stood face to face with Calaerneth.

"Cal? You know, we have to stop meeting this way," Glorfindel responded with a small embarrassed chuckle. When he got his wits about him, he noticed Cal breathing hard; her hands, balled up. "Are you alright? What happened?" Glorfindel asked with concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, I am not alright. Can we please talk…alone?" Cal asked Glorfindel, motioning to Elladan and Elrohir who were not too sure what to make of this fiery young healer who managed to capture their captain's attention and possibly his heart.

Glorfindel glanced at the twins and started to ask if he and Cal could have some privacy when a young ellon approached. "My Lord Glorfindel, Lord Elrond wishes to talk with you. He is in his study."

"Thank you. Tell Lord Elrond I will be there shortly," Glorfindel replied politely. The ellon bowed and left.

Sighing heavily, Glorfindel looked apologetically at Cal. "I am sorry. I must go but wait for me in your room. I will be there as soon as I can." Directing his gaze at the twins, he continued. "I will meet you two later."

As soon as Glorfindel left, Calaerneth turned to leave when she heard one of the twins ask her a question. "Is everything okay, my lady?"

Cal remembered how she overheard these two joke about their bet with Glorfindel and started to feel her anger rise once more, but noticing the genuine look of concern for her; she softened the gaze in her eyes. "I am not sure yet, but thank you for asking, my lord."

"Please, call me Elladan," the Noldo replied with a lopsided grin.

Cal laughed despite herself. "How can I tell you two apart? You both look the same."

Elladan smirked. "It is really quite simple. I am taller than my counterpart and am leaner, whereas Elrohir is short and bulky."

Elrohir gaped in mock hurt. "You wound me, dear brother." Turning serious once more, Elrohir fixed his gaze on Cal who, despite laughing, still seemed troubled. "Are you certain there is nothing we can do for you?"

As much as Cal wanted to talk to someone about Rodwen, she was not sure if she could speak to anyone but Glorfindel. "I will be fine. I must be going now." Bowing, Cal turned to leave when she felt a hand stop her. Turning her head, she saw that it was Elrohir.

"Before you leave, my brother and I wish to apologize to you."

Cal was confused. "Apologize?

Elrohir nodded. "Glorfindel told us that he told you about the bet we made to see how long it would be before you signed off on his reinstatement papers. We were wrong to make such a bet, and we hope you forgive us for being so childish."

"Thank you for your apology. You are right. It was childish, but as long as you have learned from this, then it is in the past," Cal replied with a smile.

The twins nodded in agreement. "You are welcome, my lady, and thank you for understanding," said one of them.

Without a further word, Cal quickly left to wait back in her room for Glorfindel.

* * *

Glorfindel huffed in aggravation as he made his way to Elrond's study. Why was it that every time something important came up between him and Cal as of late, Elrond would always come between them? What was so important this time that it could not wait until later? One thing was for sure: he would go in and leave as quickly as he could.

The golden-haired warrior could not shake the image of Calaerneth out of his mind. She looked both upset and worried. Did she have another memory or was it something else altogether? Elrond's summons could not have come at the most inconvenient time. When he arrived at Elrond's study, he took a few moments to collect himself before gently knocking on the door.

"Enter."

That was a quick response, Glorfindel thought. Usually, it would take a brief moment before he responded. Maybe this had nothing to do with Cal. Was there another orc sighting? Glorfindel shook his head. No, if it was something of that ilk, not only would he be here, but also the twins and several other guards. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room.

"You called for me, my lord?" he asked as calmly as possible.

Elrond nodded and poured them both a drink before taking a seat across from Glorfindel. "Yes, thank you for coming as quickly as you could. Please, take a seat," Elrond replied as he handed his friend the glass of wine.

Taking the chalice from his friend, Glorfindel set it down on the desk. "What did you need to speak with me about? I was just on my way to the training yards to spar with your sons." Glorfindel attempted to sound as casual as he could, but he could tell that despite his best efforts a slight hint of annoyance slipped through.

Raising a brow, Elrond set his own glass down and folded his hands. "I apologize for any inconvenience, but I needed to speak with you about Calaerneth."

He knew it! This did have to do with her. "What about her?" Glorfindel could feel his jaw tensing. Elrond was doing it again—meddling in his private affairs.

Sensing his friend's mood shift from passive to aggressive, Elrond cut to the point. "It has come to my attention that she told you last night about her being a reborn elleth."

Glorfindel stiffened. Why was he bringing this up to him? This was a personal matter, and Glorfindel was not sure he wanted to speak about it without Cal here. "She mentioned it briefly. Why do you ask?"

"I see. What all did she tell you?" Elrond avoided the question.

Crossing his arms, Glorfindel sat back in his chair. "With all due respect, Elrond, I do not feel comfortable talking about this without her permission. I am not sure why you are bringing this up?"

Elrond nodded his understanding. "I understand your concerns; however, I am very hesitant at allowing the two of you to continue your meetings. I know I said it was fine yesterday, but the more I thought about it, the more I am unsure."

This time Glorfindel could not hold his temper. "Elrond, I respect you as a friend, and normally I would agree with your decisions, but this is one I cannot agree with. I understand that Cal is going through a very hard time right now, which is exactly why it is important I should still be allowed to see her. She is going to need someone who understands what she is going through and last time I checked, I am the only other reborn elf in Imladris." Glorfindel ended sternly.

Elrond had to admit that his friend was correct. Yet, he was still unsure it was a wise choice letting them see one another. "You are right about that, Glorfindel, but my concern is you will both let your emotions get in the way, and either one or both of you will be hurt," the elf-lord explained with implied concern in his voice. "You must understand where I am coming from. You have had time to come to terms with being reborn and deal with your memories and dreams, whereas Calaerneth does not even know where she has come from or her past life. All she knows is that she is a reborn elleth and is learning to deal with these new memories. Even after all this time, you still struggle," Elrond sighed. "I care too much about both of you to see either of you hurt. Can you at least promise me you can keep your relationship professional?"

Glorfindel could tell that the elf-lord was not really getting it. "Elrond, you cannot keep interfering with people's lives. You are one of my closest friends, and I respect you. I even understand why you are concerned for us, but you must trust us to make our own choices when it comes to whether we become more than friends. Now, I can assure you that as of right now, Cal and I are nothing more than friends who are trying to comfort one another through our past pains. What I cannot promise you is that it will not turn into something more later on. If it does, you must respect that and trust us to work through it."

Elrond sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew it would do no good to keep them apart. How could he? The only way that would happen was if he sent one of them away and he could not do that. "Very well," he finally caved. "You are right. I should trust you to make your own decisions. Just please, be careful. I might care about both of you, but you are like a brother to me."

Glorfindel smiled reassuringly. "I will. You have my word. Now, may I please return to the training grounds?"

Elrond nodded and stood to his feet. "Then I suppose there is nothing more to discuss here. You should get back to training."

Grinning, Glorfindel bowed and left to return to training, but not before he found out what was wrong with Calaerneth.

* * *

Calaerneth paced back and forth in her room as she waited—none too patiently—for Glorfindel to return from his unexpected meeting with Lord Elrond. Under any other circumstances she would have wondered what Lord Elrond would be discussing with Glorfindel, but at this moment her thoughts were turned toward Rodwen and his intentions of dragging her back to Mithlond with him.

"Where are you Glorfindel?" she groaned. As she continued to wait, ideas ran through her mind of how she could avoid seeing Rodwen. Maybe she could play sick, or she could feign an injury. She even considered having Glorfindel take her on patrol until Rodwen left! But, accompanied by a defeated sigh, she realized that none of those options would work. As she tried to think of another idea to avoid seeing Rodwen, she heard a knock on her door. Rushing to open it she felt a wave of relief rush through her to see Glorfindel standing there, worry radiating from his eyes.

"Glorfindel! What took you so long to get here!" she cried, pulling him into her room before shutting the door.

"I came as soon as I could Cal. What happened? Did you have another memory?" he asked while taking a seat next to her.

"I would rather have had a memory then suffer this!" she said and shoved the partially crumpled letter into Glorfindel's hands.

Not quite understanding what could be so horrible, he began to read the letter. His eyes progressively widened with each word. When he finished, his face had the look of one who was ready to throttle someone. "Who is this Rodwen, and why is he laying claim to you?" he asked, wadding the letter into a ball and throwing it across the room.

Placing her head in her hands, Cal sighed. "It is as the letter states who he is. He was to be my husband. My father promised me to him when I refused to find a proper suitor. That is why I came here—to get away from him and my parents. Apparently, he found out where I was, and now he is coming here to take me back home."

Glorfindel began to feel fiercely protective and a bit jealous over the thought of Cal being promised to someone else. "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?" As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted it. Why did it matter? It was not as though they were courting.

Cal could not believe her ears. "I did not think I needed to tell you. Besides, as far as I am concerned, Rodwen and I are not engaged. My father never announced it, and I left before he could." As she spoke, a faint image, a memory, surfaced in her mind:

She was in the company a golden-haired ellon. She could not quite make out his face, but she could tell he was visibly upset—angry as he watched another ellon kiss her hand.

Pushing the image from her head, Calaerneth returned her gaze to Glorfindel.

Feeling ashamed of his thoughtless words, Glorfindel squeezed Cal's hand. "Forgive me for speaking thus. It was not my place to do so."

Smiling sadly, Cal returned the squeeze. "It is alright. But what am I to do about Rodwen? I cannot go back with him, and he will not take no for an answer."

Glorfindel stood to his feet with determination radiating from his figure. "Listen to me. I will not let him take you back to Mithlond, nor will Lord Elrond. If this Rodwen tries anything, rest assured he will be dealt with accordingly. And he better hope it is Elrond and not me who does. For now, let us wait and see what happens, and we will go from there, alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Cal hugged Glorfindel. "Thank you. I do not know what I would do without you."

"Fortunately, you will never have to find out. I will always be here for you just as you have been for me." As they parted, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Now, I have to go and train with the twins. You are welcome to come and watch if you wish."

As much as she wanted to, Cal declined the invitation. "I think I will stay here and maybe rest for a while. I had another rough night last night."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me." After kissing her cheek, Glorfindel went to meet up with the twins.

* * *

The dreaded day finally arrived, and it found Calaerneth, Glorfindel, Lord Elrond, and his sons, in the courtyard ready to greet Lord Rodwen. As the dark-haired lord unmounted his horse, he turned to see his 'betrothed' arm and arm with a golden-haired ellon.

Elrond studied the elf, and he started the customary greeting. "Welcome to Imladris, Lord Rodwen of Mithlond."

"Your greeting warms my heart, Master Elrond," Rodwen said hastily with forced politeness.

Giving a smug smile to Glorfindel, Rodwen impatiently handed the reins over to the nearby stable hand without so much as an acknowledgment. "And who might you be?"

Elrond frowned ever so slightly at this response, as did the twins.

This fellow is unbelievable! Glorfindel thought as he returned the smile with as much grace as he could muster. No wonder Cal left him!

"I am Lord Glorfindel, the Captain of Lord Elrond's guard and close friends with Lady Calaerneth," Glorfindel answered, letting some of his annoyance slip into his voice.

"Charmed, I am sure," retorted Rodwen.

This ellon was too much. How Cal was even able to live in the same region as him for so long was a mystery. If Glorfindel were in Cal's position, he would have quietly disposed of him a long time ago. Glorfindel narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side. "The journey must have been rough; I pity your steed."

Rodwen returned the glare. "I assure you it was smooth...smooth as the golden hay some might call hair." Turning to look at Calaerneth who appeared as though she wanted to slap the smarminess right out of him, he continued. "Well, as I am sure you are well aware, I am Lady Calaerneth's betrothed. I would appreciate it if you would so kindly remove your arm from hers.

Glorfindel began to reply when Lord Elrond stepped in between the two, not wanting this to continue. "Lord Erestor, would you be so kind as to take Lord Rodwen to his room in the guest quarters. I am sure he is tired from his long trip." His voice left no room for arguing.

Lord Erestor bowed and with as much politeness as he could muster motioned for Rodwen to follow. "If you will follow me, my lord, I will show you to your room." Eyeing Cal sympathetically, he left.

His eyes never once leaving his 'betrothed,' Rodwen merely nodded. "I do not plan on remaining here for long. You should say your goodbyes while you have the time, my dear and pack your belongings." Before Cal could reply, Rodwen roughly shoved his bags into Lindir's arms and headed inside. The minstrel's expression turned from one of surprise to equal parts insult and shock.

"I do not believe what I have just witnessed! Who does he think he is?" Glorfindel shouted as soon as Rodwen was out of ear's reach.

"Quite the arrogant one, is he not?" Elrohir stated. Throughout the course of his life, he had met many self-absorbed men and elves, but this elf had to be the worst.

"I agree, brother. Perhaps he would not feel so arrogant, or he would leave quicker if we 'helped' him?" Elladan smirked.

Elrond glared at his sons briefly while he fought to regain his composure before speaking as he was finding it nearly impossible to not toss this "lord" out of the house and onto his rear.

"Glorfindel, he is a guest, and as such we must treat him respectfully. But as far as Cal is concerned, if he thinks he will be forcing her to leave with him, he is very much mistaken."

As he started to protest, Glorfindel was interrupted by the sound of giggling behind Cal. Turning, he saw young Estel hiding behind a pillar.

"All the elf men love the pretty lady! So much they fight for you!" the child exclaimed.

"Estel, that is enough." Elrond stared at his foster son. "Return to your room and finish your studies," Elrond stated and proceeded to herd the young mortal child back toward the house. Groaning in protest, Estel reluctantly left with his foster brothers by his side.

"Now I understand why you left, Cal. How could your father even suggest such a marriage?" Glorfindel asked the elf-maid. She had been silent the entire time.

Cal could only shake her head, too upset even to speak.

"My dear, I give you my word that as soon as Rodwen has had time to rest, I will escort him personally out of Rivendell," Elrond said to reassure her. "You do not even have to concern yourself with him. You are under my protection." Elrond shifted his attention to Glorfindel. The golden-head still looked like he wanted to kill Rodwen. "As for you, please try not to maim our guest."

Glorfindel pursed his lips and nodded.

For the rest of the day, neither Glorfindel or Calaerneth were to be seen. Neither of them wished to run into Rodwen—especially Glorfindel, as he could not promise that Rodwen would not 'accidentally' end up in the infirmary.

* * *

Glorfindel's heart clenched in the desperate labyrinth of smoke and fire. Everywhere he turned he met destruction, fire, smoke, and death. A heart-wrenching scream dragged through the darkness, and it clawed at his heart. That scream: it haunted him. It rang in his ears, and even when the sound stopped, he could still hear it. A horrifying shriek: a cry for help.

And still, the smoke churned like the waves of the sea: choking him and burning his eyes. His heart pounded in his ears.

Glorfindel tried to call out, but his voice came out in a rasp in the dark smoke. And so he stumbled forward: hands out with his sword in his grip, searching for the source of the cry despite being blinded by the smog.

That scream, the same scream. A horrifying shriek, a cry for help. It echoed through the darkness.

The further Glorfindel plunged into the night, the thicker the smoke became. He was blind, he was lost, and the cry for help rang in his ears.

Taking one step more, Glorfindel tripped, landing hard on the stone ground. Trying to find what he stumbled over, he nearly screamed in shock. It was the body of one of the members of his house. Suddenly, the eyes darted towards him, and his mouth moved yet no words could be heard. Glorfindel tried reaching for his fallen comrade, only for the body to dissolve.

Scrambling to his feet, Glorfindel beheld a terrifying scene: hundreds of faces from friends and acquaintances seeming to reach for him, calling for him, circling him. Glorfindel tried to get away but discovered he could not move. Just as the hands grabbed him, pulling him down as they did so, the warrior found himself on the edge of Cirith Thoronath and reverberating louder than before was that voice. Eyes darting all over, Glorfindel beheld what appeared to be a light and the outline of a body forming. Was this the source of the voice? He could feel his heart clench tighter the closer he came to the light. He knew this being…was close to him…but who were they? Before he could find out, the ground gave out from under him, and the Elf Lord found himself falling, his hair whipping around him and a sword of fire coming straight at him. Trying to grab something to hold onto, his body plummeted faster and further into the dark abyss until…

Glorfindel sat up with a scream on his lips, cold sweat dripping from his face. It had been nearly three weeks since a nightmare about Gondolin and the mysterious voice calling for help had plagued him. Who was it? He was almost sure it was Luthagwen, but his dreams never lasted long enough for him to find out.

Throwing the damp sheets off, Glorfindel got up, splashing his face with cold water from a nearby basin before walking to Cal's room. He knew he would not get any more sleep that night and he did not wish to be alone.

A few rooms down from his, he heard the sound of soft whimpering and knew it was Calaerneth. Was she having a dream as well? Quietly entering her room, Glorfindel noticed she was turning her head side to side, her eyes fluttering. Should he wake her or let her wake on her own?

Cal was back in Gondolin, her feet wandering the empty streets. She tried to call out but found she was not able to speak. Suddenly, she saw a dark figure walking toward her; their hand stretched out to her. Not knowing why, Cal took the hand and discovered it was that of the same dark-haired elf: Ecthelion. Cal could not explain it, but she felt safe with him. Who was he to her? It was apparent they were close.

Was he her husband?

Ecthelion started to speak. His voice was soft and inviting. He led Cal to a fountain and sat down motioning her to do the same. She was about to ask who he was…

The elf-maid woke up with a sharp gasp.

"Shhhhhh, I am here. You are safe," a voice called out. Drawn to the sound of the voice she started to cry, grabbing onto Glorfindel's clothes in her search for comfort.

The golden head scooped her into his arms. "It was only a dream," Glorfindel murmured, stroking Cal's hair as he rocked her back and forth.

"Just please, make them stop," Cal pleaded.

"I wish I could. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I just want to forget," Cal sobbed. Seeing the unsure expression on his face, Cal shook her head. "I am not ready to talk about it. But I promise you will be the first person I come to when I am. Just stay with me tonight, please?"

"As you wish," Glorfindel whispered. As much as he wanted to talk about his dream, right now, it was more important to comfort her. There was always tomorrow or their sessions.

Laying down next to her, Glorfindel wrapped his arms around her waist, humming an old tune until nothing but the sound of Cal's soft breathing could be heard.


	13. Chapter 13

Rule #77 Sometimes one must fight for the safety of their patient

The next day found Calaerneth alone for most of the day. Since Glorfindel's reinstatement in the guard, he had returned to his training which unfortunately left no time for the two of them. Cal thought she would be fine with the break but was surprised to find she missed Glorfindel tremendously and sought to distract herself by studying more of Lord Elrond's notes.

Wanting to be alone to study, Calaerneth decided to go to the library as it was a beautiful sunny day and most of the inhabitants were outside enjoying the weather. Hopefully, that included a certain obnoxious elf, she prayed.

However, when Cal rounded the corner that led to her favorite spot in the library, all hopes of a peaceful study session evaporated into thin air.

Sitting in front of the large hearth in the library, with a romantic lunch for two, was the arrogant Rodwen. "I have been expecting you, my sweet."

Trying to hide the disgust in her voice, Cal cleared her throat. "Rodwen, what a surprise. I had not expected you to be here."

"I hope you do not mind, I was told you would be here for your afternoon studies," he said standing to his feet.

"Actually, I do…"

"Please, no need to thank me now. You can thank me later in a more private setting," Rodwen interrupted walking toward her with a cunning gleam in his eye.

Suddenly Cal did not feel safe any longer, and she wished that Glorfindel was here with her. Taking a few steps back, she felt her back hit a corner, and she felt trapped like a deer being preyed upon by a pack of wargs.

"I need to go. I forgot my ink bottle back in my office," Cal whimpered softly, the fear in her voice betraying her.

"I have one here, my love," he whispered in her ear.

Feeling bile rise in her throat, Cal shoved him out of her way and attempted to run, but Rodwen latched onto her arm. As she tried to jerk her arm out of Rowden's hand, he pulled her toward him and forcibly latched his lips on hers.

Calaerneth was horrified. Feeling the strength of ten elves, she shoved Rodwen off her and rearing her hand, slapped him across his face causing his head to snap back. Not waiting to see his response, Cal picking up her notebook fled the room.

* * *

A little way off near one of the bridges overlooking a small stream, the twins skipped stones with little Estel when they heard heavy breathing. Turning to see where the sound was coming from, they saw Calaerneth breathing heavily, face all flustered.

"My lady? Is everything well with you?" Elrohir asked stepping forward sitting next to Calaerneth.

When they received no answer, Elladan shared a worried look with his twin. "Did Rodwen do something to you? Would you like us to take care of him for you? It would be no problem at all."

As much as Cal wanted to take them up on that offer, she refused to give him the benefit of knowing how much he got to her. "I am fine; I just had a rough morning. Thank you though." As an afterthought, she looked up at Elladan who was rubbing the back of small Estel. "Do you know when Lord Glorfindel finishes his training?"

"He should be finished now and heading back to his room. Do you know where they are?" Elrohir answered.

"I do, thank you once again, my lords," Cal responded standing to her feet and smoothing the wrinkles out of her gown. "Worry not for me, Estel. I am alright." Cal smiled reassuring the young child who looked worried about Cal.

Estel smiled back, and when Cal had left, the twins gave each other a knowing look. They knew full well that Rodwen had something to do with Calaerneth's mood and they would make sure he was dealt with later.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel jogged back to his room after a long, tedious training session. It felt good to be back into his routine, but it would feel even better to meet up with Calaerneth. He never thought he would miss someone as much as he had her. However, as the golden-haired warrior made his way back to his rooms, he passed a smug looking Rodwen.

The silver-haired Telerian looked way too pleased with himself, and Glorfindel began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Hurrying faster, Glorfindel wanted to find Cal.

As he rounded the corner to his room, Glorfindel was surprised and relieved to see Cal waiting for him outside his doors. The relieved look quickly turned to one of worry when he saw she looked visibly shaken and upset.

"Calaerneth, what is wrong?" Glorfindel asked as Cal rushed over and flung herself into his arms.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Cal pleaded. She felt so ashamed right now, the last thing she wanted was to talk about it. Besides, she knew if she told Glorfindel what had happened, he would hunt him down and pin him on his wall or better yet, have him stuffed so he could use him as his sparring dummy.

Glorfindel, however, would not let this go so quickly. "Calaerneth, you cannot just throw yourself at me like that and then not tell me what happened. Was it Rodwen?" He knew that ass of an elf looked too smug for his own good.

Knowing Glorfindel would not relent this time, Cal reluctantly caved in. "Fine, I will tell you, but promise me you will not do anything foolish." Glorfindel only stared hard at her. "While you were away training, I went to the library to study and who should be there waiting for me but Rodwen. Well, …he kissed me," Cal blurted.

"He did what! Please tell me you did not let him kiss you?" He asked too angry even to realize how foolish his question was.

Cal's face contorted in a mixture of hurt and anger. "Of course, I did not let him kiss me! How could you even think such a thing? He cornered me up against a wall and forced himself on me!" Even as she spoke, she could not keep the tears from falling. Cal was not sure if she was more hurt by the kiss or that Glorfindel would accuse her of willingly allowing such a thing to happen.

Cal knew this would be the last straw. Glorfindel was considered a reasonable ellon and would let most things go without so much as a thought, but this incident—well, it was one thing to make smug remarks but an entirely different matter when a person forced himself onto someone. Noticing the last of Glorfindel's self-restraint leave his body, Cal was horrified to see the warrior turn around and storm off to find Rodwen.

Calaerneth had never seen Glorfindel look so enraged. Yes, she had seen him lose his temper before—even with her—but nothing compared to what she was witnessing now. It was now very easy to believe the tales of old which she had heard growing up and Cal wanted this to all be nothing but a bad dream. Mortified, she tried stopping him. "Glorfindel, please, stop! You will only make things worse."

Glorfindel only laughed mirthlessly. "Worse? Perhaps, Rodwen should have thought about that before he forced himself on what was not his, to begin with! I will not allow him to get away with shaming your honor nor dignity!"

"That is it!" Cal yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "I have had it with ellyn who will not respect me nor my privacy! Maul him, stuff him, see if I care anymore. It is apparent you, nor anyone else will listen to me. I came here to get away from people like Rodwen and instead I only find them here as well. I am through!" Turning on her heels, Cal stormed off leaving a shocked and speechless Glorfindel in her stead.

* * *

Evening was now approaching when Calaerneth decided she should return to Imladris. After her argument with Glorfindel, she felt the need to get away for a while to clear her head. At first, she was considering leaving the Valley altogether but quickly realized how ridiculous that idea was. Where would she go? Back to Mithlond? Her parents would only scold her like an elfling and force her to marry even more quickly.

Besides, she thought, I could never leave Glorfindel. Not forever. Tossing the final pebble into the lake where Glorfindel had brought her all those weeks ago and where she first began to realize her true feelings for the reborn ellon, she wiped the dirt from her hands and started to head back to Rivendell. Hopefully, Glorfindel would have had time to calm down enough, and they could try and talk like grown, mature adults.

Calaerneth had not even made it a few feet when she heard low guttural voices. Knowing they were not voices of elves, she curiously went to see who else could be there. She very quickly regretted her decision, however, when she discovered to whom the voices belonged.

Orcs!

What are orcs doing so close to Rivendell? Cal thought terrified.

She knew she needed to get out of here so she could warn Lord Elrond and fast. No sooner had Cal turned to flee when she found her face staring at the chest of a massive, smelly brute of an orc.

"What do we have here boys?" the orc jeered, its sharp, yellow fangs protruding from its upper lip.

Before Cal could let out a scream, she felt something hard hit the back of her head, causing stars to flash before her eyes and then everything went black as she hit the wet ground.

* * *

Elrond scoured over the morning reports that had been brought in the night before with a frown on his face. Another wave of orcs had crossed near the border of Rivendell, this time even closer than the last, and in much larger numbers. The small patrol of elves did not even dare try and dispatch them, instead quickly returning home to warn him.

Before Elrond could even make some sort of decision on how to best handle the situation, the door to his study was thrown open revealing the worried face of Glorfindel followed closely by both his sons and unfortunately, Rodwen.

"Glorfindel! I assume you have a good reason why you just barged right into my rooms without so much as a knock?" he reprimanded.

"Where is Cal? Has she come by this morning?" Glorfindel asked, not even apologizing.

Elrond dropped the report his expression changing from unapproval to worried. "I have not seen her since yesterday at the morning meal; I assumed she would have been with you."

Glorfindel's face fell. "I have not seen her since…"

"Since when?" Elrond asked.

"Since we got into an argument yesterday afternoon about Rodwen," he finished trying to keep his composure.

Elrond's brow raised in confusion.

"Ask pretty boy here, Father. I am sure he would love to elaborate on the matter," Elladan said in disgust remembering the conversation he had with Glorfindel. It took both he and his brother the better part of the afternoon before they could convince him not to stick Rodwen like a pig on a spit.

Giving his son a warning look, he turned his attention to Rodwen. "What is my eldest talking about?"

Rodwen merely waved his hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, your son is overreacting. Calaerneth and I had a run in and talked for a while."

This only made Glorfindel laugh in mock amusement. "Forcing yourself on an unwilling female is not 'talking.'"

At that, Elrond snapped his quill he had been holding in his other hand causing even Rodwen to step back.

"I went to confront Rodwen about it, and Cal became flustered when I wouldn't listen to her, and she left. I assumed she would have returned before nightfall, but when I went to her rooms, she was not there," Glorfindel finished.

Elrond said nothing for several minutes. When he had willed himself to relax, he looked at his sons and Glorfindel solemnly. "I am afraid I have worse news. It would appear another group of orcs was seen near our borders even closer than last time. Calerneth's disappearance could not have come at a worse time."

Fear gripped Glorfindel like ice. "Where were they last seen and how many?"

"Near Sîdh Nîn, and the last report showed near fifteen orcs, possibly more." Elrond frowned at the look of horror on his friend's face. "Glorfindel, what is it?"

Glorfindel thought he was going to be sick. Please tell me she did not go there, he prayed. Staring back at Elrond, he swallowed a lump in his throat. "Sîdh Nîn was where I took Calaerneth a few weeks ago."

"You think she went there?" Elrond asked.

"Where else would she have gone? She would not have returned home to Mithlond, and she has not been anywhere else outside the Valley."

The twins both placed a hand on their mentor's back. "If she is there, we will bring her back…alive. We will not let what happened to our mother befall her," Elladan said softly feeling the fear radiate from his friend's body.

Elrond agreed with his son. "No, we shan't. Elladan, I want you and your brother to take a group of your best…"

"I am going Elrond," Glorfindel said cutting off his friend. Not letting him get a word in, Glorfindel continued. "This is not up for debate. I am the reason she left. I will be the one to go and bring her back."

Elrond knew when his friend got like this, there was no getting him to change his mind. Sighing in defeat, he nodded. "Very well. But I want my sons to go with you." Remembering that Rodwen was still here, Elrond continued. "And, you will bring Rodwen along."

"What?" three voices cried in disbelief. "You cannot be serious, Elrond! He will only be a hindrance. Lest you forget, this disgrace of an elf laid his hands on her against her will," Glorfindel added.

"I assure you, he will not. Besides, it will do him some good to get out there and prove just how good he is with a sword." Looking at Rodwen who seemed to be squirming at the thought of facing a group of savages, smirked. "You have fought orcs, have you not? I believe you were heard boasting last night, about your many encounters with them disarming a group single-handedly."

Rodwen swallowed hard. "O…of course. It would be my pleasure to assist Lord Glorfindel in bringing back the Lady Calaerneth. I will just go get ready." As he turned to leave, he felt a hand grab his wrist tightly. Turning, he saw Lord Elrond staring coldly at him.

"If you so much as touch her again, I will not stop my captain here from running his sword through your chest," he whispered icily.

Rodwen nodded jerking his arm free before leaving.

Elrohir laughed when the young lord left. "If I did not know any better, I would say Rodwen was afraid of facing an orc."

Glorfindel glared in the direction of where Rodwen had gone. "I can assure you; he will be even more afraid if he ever lays a hand on her again. Now, let us get ready to leave. I want to be out of here in a quarter of an hour."

Fifteen minutes later, Glorfindel, the twins, Rodwen, and a group of twenty elves, were packed and ready to leave. "Safe travels my friend. May you find Calaerneth unscathed." Turning to his sons, his voice lowered to an almost whisper. "Keep an eye on Glorfindel. Do not let him do anything foolish."

Nodding their understanding, the rescue patrol was off.

* * *

During most of the journey to Sîdh Nîn, no one dared say a word. All eyes and ears were on their surroundings, ever so often glancing near the front at Rodwen, who surprisingly—and much to the secret satisfaction of the other elves—seemed to be looking around nervously, especially toward Glorfindel. Word somehow managed to spread that Rodwen had forcibly kissed young Calaerneth and bets soon began to take place among the patrol about how long it would be before the braggart opened his mouth causing their captain to finally beat the despicable lord to a pulp.

However, like most good things, the silence did not last. Before long, Rodwen started regaining his cocky composure, bragging—mostly to Glorfindel causing the rest to silently pray to the Valar to allow their golden-haired captain to punch the Telerian lord.

"Wives like for their husbands to be strong. They crave a firm hand, and that is just what I will be able to give Cal. She needs a firm hand, with her decisions and in the bedroom. It is how I knew she did not really mean no when I kissed her. Do not worry Glorfindel; not everyone can handle an elleth, you should not feel too bad…"

Glorfindel came to a halt and pulled his sword out pressing it against Rodwen's throat pinning him against a tree, his azure eyes flashing. "This sword has slain many orcs and other foul creatures. I will not hesitate to drive this through your heart if you continue to speak in such a way about Cal."

Rodwen bit the inside of his cheek no longer able to hold the elder elf's gaze any longer. Looking around for aid, he felt disgust well up inside him as he realized the others were smiling before they continued heading toward their destination. When Glorfindel released him, Rodwen fell back not taking his eyes off Glorfindel for a moment.

"If you know what is good for you, pretty boy, you will hold your tongue. Glorfindel might be known for his patience, but he even has his limits and don't think for one moment anyone of us will try and stop him if he does lose it," one of the sons of Elrond whispered before roughly shoving him to the side.

When Rodwen was able to move once more, he made sure to remain behind for the remainder of the trip. Nearly an hour later, Glorfindel held his hand up signaling for his patrol to halt, causing Rodwen to bump into one of the other elves. "What is the holdup? Why have we stopped?"

"Quiet you fool, or they will hear you!" Elrohir hissed clamping his hand over Rodwen's mouth. When the elf had ceased his struggling, Elrohir continued. "We have found the orc encampment. And unless you wish to become some sport for their amusement, stop talking!"

Rodwen was only able to glare, but soon the look became one of near fear when he heard the sound of rough laughter not far from where they had stopped.

"Looks like the elf bitch can't take her medicine boys!" one chimed in causing several others to break out into more laughter.

As soon as Elrohir removed his hand from Rodwen's mouth, the elder lord turned to him. "Who are they referring to? Do they have Calaerneth?" Rodwen asked sincerely feeling fear for his betrothed. Elrohir only nodded and went to stand by Glorfindel who appeared as though he was about to have a heart attack at what was before his eyes: Calaerneth tied up and surrounded by a group of orcs.

* * *

Calaerneth never felt fear like she felt now. Upon awakening, she found her hands and feet bound tightly with coarse rope, and her head ached horribly. She could not touch it with her hand, but she could tell she had a nasty bump from where an orc hit her in the head, and dried blood caked her long black hair.

The moment she tried to cry out, one of her handlers slapped her across the face causing her to bite down on her lip slicing it open. At once she felt a bruise forming. Looking down, Calaerneth noticed a long laceration on her calf from where her leg must have collided with a sharp rock, and she could tell by the immense throbbing, her ankle was sprained badly.

"What shall we do with her?" One of the orcs asked licking his lips with anticipation at getting his hands on this she-elf.

"I say we have some fun with her before we eat her," cried another rushing toward her with a knife drawn before being cut down by the head orc.

"No one touches her before I have had my way with her," he exclaimed.

Cal could not help but scream in terror as the body fell before her, the orc's head rolling to a stop inched from her feet.

Laughing at seeing her fear, the leader, knelt before her, grabbing her chin in his rough hand. "What is wrong, ain't seen a dead orc before?" When he received no response, he forced her mouth opened and poured a thick black liquid down her throat causing her to choke. "Looks like the elf bitch can't take her medicine, boys!"

Just as the head orc went to pour more of the grog down her throat, the orcs all heard a war cry behind them. Turning to see what the noise was, they drew their swords and snarled.

"Glorfindel!" Calaerneth screamed, overjoyed to see him.

Before any of the orcs could react, their eyes widened in horror and disbelief as they witnessed Glorfindel charging at them, his sword drawn, flashing in the sun.

Glorfindel had no idea what came over him. The moment he saw his beloved Calaerneth tied up and the orcs surrounding her, jeering at her like some piece of meat, his memories came flooding back of his Luthagwen as she screamed at him to help her. He had failed to protect the first woman of his life; he would be damned if he would fail a second time. Flying into a blood killing frenzy, he charged allowing none of his quarry a chance to react. Every slash, every sound of flesh ripping and bones cracking seemed to give him more strength allowing him to overpower them until none of the orcs were left standing.

None of the other elves were even able to join in the fight for there was no fight to join in. They had seen Glorfindel fight before, yet this seemed like something that was in a dream. Whether by divine intervention or some supernatural strength, Glorfindel had annihilated every orc before any of them could even lift a blade.

When Glorfindel was sure that none remained standing, he dropped his blade and rushed over to Calaerneth who was sobbing uncontrollably. "Take me home!" she cried over and over.

Glorfindel quickly cut her bonds and held her in his arms, after making sure she was not seriously hurt. "It is alright. You are safe now. I will not let anything else hurt you," he soothed into her ear.

Rodwen tried to go near the two but stopped when Elladan grabbed him firmly by the forearm. "Let them be," he warned.

"You do not own me, half-elf!" he snarled, jerking his hand free from his grip. Ignoring the shocked gasps from the other elves, he knelt down to pick Cal up. "I will take it from here. After all, I am her betrothed."

Glorfindel raised his blade. 'If you so much as touch her, you will join those down there!" he said motioning toward the fallen orcs. When Rodwen made no move to pick her up, he sheathed his blade and picked up Cal, who held onto his tunic as though her very life depended on it before he departed for home.

The other elves remained behind to burn the bodies, and as Rodwen kept his eyes on Glorfindel, he silently vowed to bring his rival to shame.

* * *

Sîdh Nîn - Elvish translation for Peaceful Waters


	14. Chapter 14

_Rule #55-One must come to terms with their past in order to move forward_

Calaerneth had no idea of when she arrived back to the safety of Imladris or of when she woke up. The only thing she remembered was waking up screaming and a pair of strong yet gentle hands holding her down whispering to her that she was going to be alright.

Opening her eyes, she half expected to be back at Sîdh Nîn in the grips of those foul creatures but was relieved to find she was in a soft bed surrounded by Glorfindel, Erestor, and Lord Elrond. "What happened?" she asked her voice sounding dry.

Glorfindel looked uncertainly at Elrond not sure if he should explain the whole ordeal or just bits and pieces. As if sensing his friend's conflict, Elrond stepped in. "You had a nasty run-in with orcs after you took off the other day. Glorfindel along with my sons found you and brought you back home."

Cal tried to remember everything that happened, but her mind would not cooperate with her. She knew that more than likely it was her body's way of protecting her—that or Elrond gave her something to block the memories. One thing she did remember though was Glorfindel taking her into his arms and holding her before picking her up and carrying her right as unconsciousness consumed her.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked flinching slightly when she attempted to sit up.

Elrond placed his hands on her softly to keep her from sitting up. "Do not sit up yet; you have a nasty bump on your head. As for your question, you have been asleep no longer than a few days."

"How do you feel, Cal?" Glorfindel asked softly.

Cal closed her eyes, still tired and in pain. "My body hurts, and I feel so tired, but otherwise I am fine."

Glorfindel wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and never let her go again. "Perhaps you should try and get some more rest. It is only natural you still feel the way you do. I will let Lord Elrond tend to you and come back in a little while."

Calaerneth only nodded. As Glorfindel turned to leave, she grabbed his hand and smiled weakly, tears beginning to form. "Thank you for coming for me."

Glorfindel smiled and squeezed her hand gently. "You are welcome, my lady." Turning, Cal watched him leave followed closely by Erestor.

When Glorfindel had left, Elrond turned to tend to Cal. "My dear, I know you are tired, but I must ask. What in Middle-earth possessed you to run off like that? You are so fortunate that you only escaped with a few cuts and bruises."

Cal did not wish to talk about it. For one, her head hurt too bad to try and remember exactly why she left and two, she wanted to sleep and forget that this had happened to her. However, she knew that Elrond would not relent and as her Elder, he had a right to know why she fled. "I cannot remember all the details, but… I got into a small argument with Glorfindel about Rodwen and with my dreams as of late, I just wanted to escape for a while. I know now, I was wrong in doing so, and I promise it will never happen again." When she finished speaking, tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and she found she could not look at Elrond out of shame.

Elrond set down the clean bandages on top of Cal's lap, a small frown playing on his lips. The wise elf-lord had been through his fair share of heartache; he might not fully understand Calaerneth's woes, but Elrond could empathize with her suffering. Even Glorfindel, for all his personal tragedy, did not have such a confusing and challenging time during his rebirth. After all, unlike Cal, Glorfindel did not have a new body or new set of parents.

Taking Cal's chin gently in his, Elrond tilted her head, so she looked at him. "My dear one, you have nothing to be ashamed of, nor to apologize for. You are going through a most difficult time in your life. I cannot even begin to imagine what you must be feeling. I am just relieved to see you home with no life-threatening injuries."

Cal sniffed softly and wiped her eyes. Without even thinking, she flung her arms around the healer's neck. "Thank you for everything. I do not know what I would do without you… or Glorfindel for that matter."

Laughing softly, Elrond patted her back as he used to his own children to soothe them when they were elflings. "Luckily for you, you will never have to find out. Now, let me change your dressing, then I will get you something for the pain, and you can try and get some rest."

Nodding, Calaerneth laid back down and tried to think of anything else to get her mind off her present situation.

* * *

Erestor frowned with deep concern as he watched his best-friend begin to shake once more. The only other time he saw the golden-haired Noldo tremble like this was in his early days back in Middle-earth, and that was even a rare occasion, as the reborn ellon was very careful not to allow anyone—including Elrond—to see him in his most vulnerable moments.

Slowly approaching, Erestor gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Glorfindel?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper. As Glorfindel looked Erestor in the face, he felt his heart break upon seeing the fear consume his friend.

"Are you alright?" Erestor knew the question was pointless to ask, but he felt he needed to break the silence.

Shaking his head, Glorfindel turned away, not wanting to let his friend see him in his current state. "This is too familiar, Erestor. I… I feel like I am reliving Gondolin all over. I cannot lose her…" Glorfindel could not finish and felt himself breakdown for the first time since bringing Cal back.

Sitting in the chair next to Glorfindel, Erestor wrapped his arms around his friend, not surprised when he felt him relax. "You will not lose her, Glor, I promise."

Glorfindel could only nod as he continued to sob.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rodwen stalked across the gardens, intent on speaking with Calaerneth. It had been a lucky chance that he had overheard one of the servants mention in passing that Lady Calaerneth had woken up. Three days. Three days and no one had thought to assure him of her recovery, and all of his inquiries to her health were summarily ignored! Well, now she was awake, he would not be kept from her side.

Rodwen stopped and looked around. He loathed to admit it, but he was quite turned around. Wandering aimlessly for near half an hour, he began to feel quite frazzled. Not the one to ask for directions, Rodwen knew this would have to be one of those times if he was to speak to Cal. He only hoped he would not have to ask that self-absorbed Glorfindel or the snobbish twin sons of Lord Elrond. Sighing in defeat, Rodwen had barely started looking for someone to ask, when he ran into none other than Elladan and Elrohir.

Feeling his cheeks redden in embarrassment, he looked upward. Surely the Valar were having fun at his expense by putting those two impudent lackwits in his path.

"Lord Rodwen, What a pleasant surprise running into you here," Elladan said with as much politeness as possible.

"Likewise, my lords." Knowing he would have to swallow his pride if he was to find Calaerneth, he forced himself to ask for help. "I appear to have lost my way. Would either of you happen to know where Lady Calaerneth is?"

As Rodwen brushed an invisible wrinkle from his tunic, the twins stared at one another for a fleeting moment and gave each other a mischievous grin before replying. Looking back at Rodwen, they nodded with as much seriousness as possible. "She is in the gardens," one of them replied.

"You will confuse him, Elrohir. My brother means the rose gardens."

Elrohir thought for a second before smiling. "Oh right, I forgot, the rose gardens."

Rodwen started to thank them, but one of the twins cut him off. "But not the rose gardens in the main garden. My brother means the rose gardens by the falls. Of course, you have to take a right by the bridge."

The other brother nodded politely and then shook his head. "No, dear brother. You would only take a right if you were coming from the left. You would have to go left if you were coming from the right."

Rodwen held up his hands to stop them. "So, I go to the bridge and go left?"

One of the twins pointed their finger at Rodwen and grinned. "Right you are! But not the bridge down by the stables. You need to go to the bridge across from the Hall of Fire. Did you know that my father once considered calling the Hall of Fire, the Hall of Falls? It is because there are so many waterfalls in Imladris."

Grinding his teeth, Rodwen felt himself becoming quite annoyed. How he was able to nod politely and not snap at the twins, he never knew. "So," he said, trying to remember clearly. "I go left at the bridge by the Hall of Fire to the rose garden?"

"Yes," Elladan answered solemnly. "But after you go left, you have to walk all the way down past the southern wing, and then you go right."

"But you don't go right until you see the statue of an old stone turtle," interrupted his brother.

Elladan looked at him crossly. "You know that it is not a turtle—it is a frog."

Elrohir gave him a withering look. "If you had  _ever_ paid attention to Lord Erestor's lessons, you would know what a turtle looks like."

Elladan poked his brother in the chest. "You  _know_  it's a frog. It's been a frog playing the lyre for the past thousand years!"

Elrohir sighed softly, placing his head in his hands. "Why do you have to do this, brother?" Elrohir shook his head sadly. "In front of a guest too." Elrohir turned around to make his apologies to Rodwen, but oddly enough, Rodwen had disappeared.

"Huh," said Elrohir. "We never even got to argue about whether the frog was playing the lyre or a lute."

"Some people have no sense of patience," agreed Elladan.

"Do you think he'll find her?" asked Elrohir.

Both just laughed before resuming their walk.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Cal's room, Glorfindel sat on her bed as Cal laid her head on his chest. For the past few days, Glorfindel tried to find the right way to confess his feeling to her about what happened, but no way appeared to be right. As he brushed her long raven head, Glorfindel just decided to tell her.

"Cal?" he asked softly. The only response he received was Cal looking up at him with unsure eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he continued. "There is something that I have meant to tell you for a few days now."

This seemed to peak Cal's curiosity as Glorfindel was not one to speak his innermost thoughts. "What is it?" she asked, her eyes betraying how tired she still was.

Beginning to feel his reserve leave, he just came out and spoke his mind. "I want to let you know how scared I was when I saw you in the midst of those orcs. When I saw one of them come at you, for a few seconds, I thought I was going to lose you. I was terrified I was not going to be able to save you, and I would have failed you like I did Luthagwen. You are more precious to me than all the jewels under Moria, and even though we have only begun courting, I feel a connection with you that I have not felt with anyone in a long time." After he had finished speaking, he felt a huge burden lifted off his chest. Peering into Cal's green eyes, he could see a mix of sorrow and regret.

"Oh Glorfindel, I am so sorry I left that way and that I scared you. I just… I just felt like things were closing in on me, especially with the dreams and when Rodwen advanced on me like that, and then you started to go after him, I snapped. I also…" Cal stopped herself and laid her head back down.

Glorfindel could sense that Cal was not telling him something. "What is it, Cal?"

"Nothing, I am just tired, that's all." Of course, she was not telling him the truth, but Cal could not bring herself to say to him that she may have been in love with Ecthelion in her previous life. What would Glor even think if he knew? Cal could not help but feel a massive wave of guilt about this, mostly because she was at war with her feelings for Glorfindel. A part of her was beginning to think she could love him, and when she thought about it, what was not to love?

He was tall, mysterious, gorgeous beyond reckoning, and when he came riding to her rescue, she fell even more in love with him—if that was even possible! She wanted to tell him and knew she should, but instead, she shoved that back into the dark recesses of her mind. Curling up closer to Glorfindel, Cal snuggled deeper into his embrace and took in his delicious smell of summer and honey while pretending that it was just him and her with no backstory, no ghosts.

Glorfindel knew she was not entirely honest with him, but decided not to press her about it. When she was ready to talk, he knew she would, and he would be right here waiting. After a few minutes of silence, he felt Cal relax and heard her soft breathing. Peering down, he saw her eyes were glazed, and she was in a deep elven sleep. Not wanting to wake her, Glorfindel reached down carefully and pulled her blanket up over her bare shoulders and fell asleep next to her.


	15. Chapter 15

Rule #70: A good healer knows when to walk away

_The sun was hot on her shoulders, and the tang of salt was in the air. The aroma of freshly baked bread drifted down the partially empty streets of Gondolin. As she sat staring off into the distance at the large, snow-covered mountains off in the horizon. Feeling a firm, calloused hand holding hers, she sighed softly. "I am glad we have each other."_

_She lifted her head to stare into the large gray eyes looking back at her and smiled softly. "I will always be there for you. You know that."_

_Feeling a sense of peace wash over her, she allowed the ellon to pull her closer and laying her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes._

Calaerneth woke with a gasp. "Ecthelion!"

Trying to catch her breath, Cal wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and looked down to find that Glorfindel no longer slept next to her.

A small niggle of fear slowly started to creep in on Cal that she was Ecthelion's beloved.

Knowing she would not be able to sleep any longer, Cal threw on her clothes and hastily pulled her hair back. She knew what she had to do—honestly, she was surprised she did not think of this idea sooner.

Cal needed answers about who she was to this Ecthelion. Was she his lover or was he something else? If her dreams would not tell her, perhaps she could find some much-needed information in the library. A wide grin forming, Cal rushed out of her room and headed in the direction of the library.

Halfway to her destination, Calaerneth ran head-first into Erestor nearly knocking him over. "I am sorry, my lord. I did not see you there," Cal said brushing herself off.

"No need to apologize, my lady. I was not watching where I was going either," he said steadying himself. "Where are you heading at this time of night?"

"I was on my way to the library. I was hoping I could find any old registries or history on Gondolin that I might be able to read."

Erestor seemed perplexed. "Might I inquire as to why you would like to read them?"

Calaerneth played at a loose strand of hair for a moment trying to find a way to answer him. "I… I would like to see if I could find any information about my previous life."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Erestor looked sorrowfully at the young healer. "I am sorry, but I think that it would be better for you if you allowed your memories to come slowly on their own. Rushing them may prove to be dangerous."

"I understand. Thank you nonetheless." Not waiting for Erestor to answer, Calaerneth turned and swiftly left and headed for her favorite place in the gardens overlooking the bridge.

Inside, Cal churned as much as the water tumbling over the rocks of the falls. She dreamed of Ecthelion, and surely that meant something. His words in the dream... _always there for you_. Her stomach felt sick. Hopefully, the fresh air would be just the thing to settle her nerves.

She squinted when first she stepped off the large porch and into the sun.

"My lady! Calaerneth!"

Cal shielded her eyes from the sun and with a sinking feeling, turned toward the voice. She did not really have to look to know who  _that_  voice belonged to.

It was Rodwen. Hair slicked back into elaborate braids off his shoulders, robes neatly pressed, boots polished to a mirror shine, and in his hands, Rodwen held a full bouquet of white roses.

Cal pursed her lips. It looked as if he had hacked off an enormous corner of some poor suffering rose bush. She gingerly accepted the offering, thorns and all.

"They are not as beautiful as you," he said and then smiled at his own words, beyond pleased with himself.

"Um...thank you?" Cal gingerly held the bouquet. "These are so nice. I think I will head straight to my room to put them in water. Before they wilt!"

"Allow me to walk you to your door," Rodwen said and offered his arm.

Cal gritted her teeth. "I would not wish you to be inconvenienced."

"'Tis no inconvenience," Rodwen told her and fell into step beside her. "I am glad we have a chance to speak, Calaerneth."

"Oh?" Cal picked up her pace.

"Yes," he said, increasing his stride to keep up with her. "I know I have made some mistakes in our courtship, my lady. But I want to assure you—I  _do_ have your best interests at heart."

Cal stopped. "Wait, wait, wait. Our  _courtship?_ Rodwen, there's no-we are not courting. I-"

He cut her off. "No need for thanks, dear lady. I could see your gratitude after I rescued you."

Cal reminded herself to breathe. She counted to ten. "Rodwen." Nope, not ready. She counted to ten again. "Thanks for the flowers." She turned on her heel and hurriedly walked up the remaining steps to the hall where her room was located. First step—he actually thought they were courting? Second step—and how dare he hack off half a rose bush from Lord Elrond's gardens to give to her. Third step—that weasley little worm with his slicked back hair and high-polished boots. Fourth step— _he_  rescued her? And she should be grateful?

Calaerneth realized she had stopped climbing the stairs. She slowly turned, angled her head, eyes narrowed, to look down where Rodwen waited, a soppy grin still fixed upon his face.

"Yes, my love?" he called to her. And then his expression changed—his eyes widened and his mouth fell open just a bit. Looking back, Cal would later suppose she must have looked...well, scary, for Rodwen neatly bowed to her and then scuttled across the yard, his voluminous robes flapping behind him.

Calaerneth felt a huge wave of nausea overpower her after Rodwen fled. How  _dare_  that monstrosity of an elf try to woo her! Needing to get away from here, Cal went to search for Glorfindel. Peering down at the newest casualties of Rodwen in her hand, she made a note to let Elrond know what had happened. Wondering where Glorfindel would be at this time, she noticed young Estel playing in the courtyard. "Estel?"

Stopping his activities, Estel, looked up with wide gray eyes, his small wooden horse midair. "Yes, Cal?"

Calaerneth could not help but smile slightly at this small adan child. "Do you know where Glorfindel is?"

Estel scrunched his nose as he thought for a moment. "Glory is in the stables."

"Thank you, Estel." Calaerneth smiled and hurried off to the stables.

* * *

Arriving at the stables, Cal searched around for Glorfindel. She needed to reassure herself of her feelings for him once and for all. Turning around the corner of one stall, she came to a sudden halt at the sight which met her eyes.

There a few feet in front of her with his long golden hair pulled back, with a loose strand blowing slightly in the cool breeze was Glorfindel. Her breath hitched in her throat as her wide eyes roamed his body, her heartbeat beginning to escalate with each passing second. He wore only loose leggings and sang softly to Asfaloth as he brushed his faithful friend's white flowing mane. With each stroke, his taut abs flexed in sync with his biceps.

As Glorfindel continued working, unaware of her presence, a fierce tug pulled at her fëa like strings on a puppet—she loved him and knew she wanted to be with him.

"Glorfindel?" Cal called out a slight tremble in her voice.

Looking up with the brush midstroke, Glorfindel noticed Calaerneth standing at the stall a few feet from him. Smiling softly, he walked quickly over to her but stopped when he saw the troubled look in her eyes. "What is wrong?"

"It is Rodwen. He is at it again."

"You let me worry about him." His voice was warm, but there was an underscore to his words, a promise.

Cal flinched. It was times like these that reminded her of the raw power behind Glorfindel's quiet presence. And in a second he put down the brush and was by her side.

"Don't do that." His voice was a caress.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's like I sometimes forget what you are— _who_  you are." She shook her head. "And then I—"

He stopped her words with a kiss, his lips soft against hers. It felt like he was asking her permission, and maybe he was, but she did not say no. She moved into his arms. Then he kissed her again, or perhaps she started it first, but in the next moment, the mood shifted. It had began as a little tentative, a tad apologetic even, but suddenly everything slid into a hard focus—like looking through frost on the window pane melting in the warmth of the sun. Glorfindel was an excellent kisser. And she was in the stable with him, being held in his arms, his very naked and toned arms, and somewhere between the second and third kiss they had moved out of view of the stable entrance and up against Asfaloth's stable door. The whole world was Glorfindel and his arms and her arms around his shoulders and mouth hot against hers, his hands sliding up and into her hair.

When they both came up for air—she was feeling a little light-headed, he probably was not even winded in the slightest—she leaned against him, exhaled.

Glorfindel looked down at her in his arms with a look that could only be described as pure adoration. "I'll always be there for you, Cal."

Hearing those words, Cal froze, and she began to slowly back away. "What did you just say?"

"I said I would always be there for you." Noticing Cal pale, Glorfindel started to become concerned that something more than just Rodwen was wrong. "Cal, what is really bothering you?"

Calaerneth knew she could not avoid the truth forever. "I… I had another dream last night. About Ecthelion. I am confused and scared Glorfindel. I think I need space."

Ecthelion? Why would she be dreaming about his best friend? He had no idea why but one thing was for certain. Space was the last thing she needed right now. Everything inside of him was telling him not to let her go. Reaching out to her, Glorfindel pulled Calaerneth back in for another kiss, but Cal ripped herself from his grasp and fled, leaving Glorfindel reeling in a mixture of shock and anger.

Not taking his eyes off from where Cal had stood a moment before, Glorfindel angrily picked up the pitchfork and shoveled a fork full of fresh hay into the stall. Asfaloth snorted his disgust. Glorfindel ignored his friend, instead focusing on the heated kiss he and Calaerneth had shared. He could not get the taste and feel of her out of his mind, much less the dream he had the night before, which had his blood and heart racing for her. It had felt all too real—he was back in Gondolin with the sun setting on the horizon. He sat on a settee on a balcony, but he was not alone. He pulled a small object from his pocket, felt the cool, hard metal against his fingers, the smooth face of the gem, and his heart had never felt so full of desire or love. Glorfindel pulled her hand into his and slid the ring onto her finger. Only when he looked up into her eyes, it was not Luthagwen next to him—it was Cal.


	16. Chapter 16

Rule #2 A good healer must learn to work through their own problems in order to help others

They sat on a large balcony overlooking the horizon, a large, plush blanket on the floor, the last of the sun setting casting a hue of red, pink and orange over the hidden realm. On top of it were two large wine glasses made of pure crystal and a bottle of the finest wine being opened by a golden-haired ellon. As the cork popped off, both started laughing. "I cannot believe the king allowed you to be here. I thought you had to be on patrol for another week?" the black-haired elleth asked as the warrior across from her poured her a glass of the dark red wine.

"I have my ways of being very persuasive, my love. Besides, it is not every day I get to spend the day alone with just you," he responded tilting his head to kiss her on her lips.

Leaning forward to allow him better access, she closed her eyes…

...Sitting up with a startled gasp, Calaerneth's heart thumped as though it would burst from her chest. "Glorfindel?" she cried out not believing what her dreams had now shown her. First her dreams had shown her she was with Ecthelion and now she had been alone on a balcony kissing his best friend! Was this her nature even in her first life—to be traitorous to the one whom she bound herself?

Well, Cal was not yet certain she and Ecthelion had been bound, but if her previous dreams had been any indication, they sure appeared to have been more than just good friends. But now...now she was more confused than before and terrified. What if she and Ecthelion were married? He and Glorfindel had been best friends—brothers almost, and she just dreamed that she and Glorfindel were kissing one another! Not to mention she and Glorfindel were more than just client and healer now.

Laying her head back on her pillow, Cal began to feel her eyes moisten with tears. She did not know what to do or how to feel. One thing she did know though was this: until she knew what her previous relationship was with this Ecthelion, she could not allow herself to be alone with Glorfindel. When ever they were alone, the two could not seem to control themselves or keep their hands and lips off one another. Until she knew for certain who her former love was, it was too dangerous to be alone with Glorfindel. In fact, she was not even sure she could be his healer any longer. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Cal fell back into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Calaerneth sighed silently. She was not looking forward to dinner tonight. Lord Elrond was hosting a dinner party, and not only was Glorfindel going to be attending, but so was Rodwen. Neither of whom she particularly wanted to see at the moment—well, Rodwen, she did not want to see at all, period!

Ever since that day at the stables, Cal had managed to successfully avoid Glorfindel. After her dream last night, she had spoken to Lord Elrond and asked him if he would please assign someone else to help Glorfindel as she felt she could no longer help him the way he needed. Elrond agreed to give the sessions a break, but told her that running away from her problems was not the answer—that was how Glorfindel got to where he was now.

_"I will give you a few weeks to cope with what is going on, Calaerneth, but after that you must find a way to get back to your life. Yes, you had a former life but now is where you should be living. You are beginning to make the same mistake Glorfindel made and look where that got him. Open up to him, or to me, but please do not shut us out."_

_"But my lord, how can I be around Glorfindel when I was with Ecthelion? It just feels wrong."_

_Elrond stood to his feet and walked over to a window, a habit he had formed when he was deep in thought. "Do you know for a fact that you and Ecthelion were bound?"_

_Calaerneth was taken aback for a moment. "No, not really," she replied slowly, "but my dreams—"_

_"Are just dreams right now my dear," Elrond interrupted. "Do not try to interpret them, let them interpret themselves. The more you try to make sense of them, the more you will be confused. If you are not certain that you and Ecthelion were married then the worst thing you could do is cut Glorfindel from your life." Elrond's eyes softened as he looked down at Cal who tried to hold back her tears. "Remember, a healer has to learn to put their personal life aside for the sake of helping those who cannot help themselves. Your memories will become clear, just give them time and do not force them."_

Shaking her head clear, Calaerneth arrived at the dinner hall and found everyone already there eating. "Lady Calaerneth, over here!" A voice all to familiar called out. Looking up, she noticed Rodwen motioning for her to sit, his grin causing her to cringe.

Not wishing to make a scene, Cal walked over to where Rodwen waited for her and hesitantly sat. As she looked up, Glorfindel caught her gaze and quickly looked away.

"My dear, you should eat," Rodwen said, placing his hand over hers.

"I am not very hungry," Cal replied pulling away her hand. Inside, a wave of disgust washed over her when he touched her. Peering up ever so slightly, Cal could see Glorfindel tensing up, gripping his fork tighter as he watched Rodwen move his hand toward her again.

"Do not be ridiculous. Of course, you are hungry. You obviously do not know what you want right now. That is what I am here for. Now eat," Rodwen commanded, scooping potatoes onto her plate.

"I believe she said she was not very hungry," Glorfindel seethed.

"I heard her the first time, Goldie," Rodwen said as he continued to put food on her plate.

Before Glorfindel could respond, Elrond chimed in: "I believe that will be enough, Rodwen. Lady Calaerneth is a grown elleth who is more than capable of making her own decisions. Now please, sit and try to refrain from rude comments in the future."

His face turning a deep red, Rodwen roughly sat down and glared at Glorfindel. One of these days, he would make that elf pay. Honestly, what did she see in him? Calaerneth looked over at Elrond and softly smiled at him in thanks. For the rest of the dinner, no one said a word.

* * *

Dinner could not have been over more quickly. As soon as she finished, Cal quickly excused herself from the table and nearly ran toward her room. No sooner had she rounded the first corner when someone grabbed her tightly by the arm.

"Rodwen? What are you doing? Let me go this instant!" she cried, trying to slap him only to have her other arm caught before she could make contact.

"I have tried being tolerant with you, hoping that you would come to your senses." He tugged her close to him, an indulgent smile playing across his face. He smoothed a fallen strand of hair away from her face, tucked it behind her ear. "But it seems I have come to the end of my patience. Whether you like it or not, you are returning home with me tonight and when we get there, you and I will be bound." Stopping for only a second, Rodwen turned and cooly flicked his gaze over her body and then smiled with all his teeth at her. For a split second, Cal felt scared. "And to make sure you do not try to flee again, I will be locking you in your room and have guards placed around our home."

Firmly putting his arm around her shoulders, Rodwen force-marched her toward the stables. "I will NOT be going anywhere with you! Now let me go!" Cal howled.

The more Cal fought, the harder Rodwen gripped until he nearly threw her over his shoulder. "You are making a scene, Calaerneth. Now stop this behavior at once!"

Sure enough, a large crowd gathered to witness Rodwen attempting to throw Cal over his shoulders. Realizing the maiden in question was being taken against her will, one onlooker whispered to another elf to go get Lord Elrond. Meanwhile, several others managed to pull Cal away from Rodwen who was now fuming.

Rodwen shouldered his way past the onlookers blocking his path, stretching his grasping fingers toward Cal once more only to be grabbed by the arms by two guards dragging him away from his intended victim. "Unhand me at once!"

By this time, Lord Elrond, followed by Erestor, Glorfindel, and the twins, had shown up. "What is the meaning of this, Rodwen? I am told that you were attempting to abduct Lady Calaerneth?

"Abduct?" Rodwen sputtered. "I am not abducting anyone. I am merely taking back what is mine! But after tonight, I see her for what she truly is!"

"And what am I?" Calaerneth cried out barely able to control herself.

"A whore!" Rodwen glared at Cal whose mouth was now open in shock. "Do not think I have not seen the way you and this Glorfindel have looked at one another. Tell me, Calaerneth, did you wait a while before throwing yourself at him, or did you bed him the first night you arrived?"

Calaerneth nearly stumbled backward at the cruel words. A whore? Never before had she ever dreamed anyone would accuse her of such filth! Hot tears stinging her eyes, Cal nearly lost it. She turned to flee the horrible scene when out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed Glorfindel lunge toward Rodwen.

"How DARE you speak that way to her!" Glorfindel yelled, with all the grace and reflexes of an elite warrior who has trained his entire life, and in one split second he pounced on Rodwen. No sooner had the words left Rodwen's lips, then all of Glorfindel's restraint burned away in a haze of pure loathing, and he tackled him, knocking Rodwen to the ground with the strength of several grown ellyn. If one listened hard enough they would have heard the sound of Rodwens head smacking the hard turf.

With fire flashing in Glorfindel's eyes, he raised his fist, coiled back. "She was never yours."

Rodwen flinched, his face drained white in pure fear with the perfect clarity one has who realizes he just made a grievous error in judgment. His mouth hung open, but only a strangled sound came out.

"No." Glorfindel's face loomed over him. "You've said enough." Then he reared back and struck Rodwen across the jaw so hard it made his face snap to the other side.

Rodwen did not know what hit him. Never had anyone ever dare to attack him. His father always made sure he was well protected. He raised his hands to block the enraged ellon on top of him. But he could not even get one hit in. His arms flailed helplessly against Glorfindel's well-aimed punches. Something warm and sticky dripped down the side of his face, and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

"Get. Off. Me!" Rodwen managed to spit out, still unable to push Glorfindel off him. He had half expected Lord Elrond, his sons or one of the other higher elves to help, but no one lifted a finger.

In fact, if Rodwen had been able to see the expressions of the other elves' faces, he would have seen the smirks forming. In truth, they had all been waiting for the time when Rodwen would overstep his bounds and receive the overdue beating he deserved.

About a minute or two had passed before Elladan finally pulled Glorfindel off Rodwen. "That is enough, Glorfindel!" he heard Elladan call out. "We want him to be able to leave, and if you damage him too much, he will have to stay longer."

Too furious to speak, Glorfindel shook his throbbing hand as he heaved uncontrollably and shook Elladan off him to stand next to Cal who had a look of utter shock on her face.

"How dare you lay your hands on me you…you insufferable elf!" Rodwen huffed as he spit a mouthful of blood into the nearby rose bush. "Just wait till my father hears of this, he…"

"ENOUGH!" Elrond thundered, causing everyone to turn their heads and step back. Very rarely did he ever raise his voice, especially toward a guest. "You have overstayed your welcome, Rodwen. As of right now, you are banished from my lands. You will pack your things and leave at once never to return under penalty of death. Now leave!"

Rodwen stared at Elrond for a moment before he regained his composure. "Have it your way. Keep her. I have no use for used goods anyway." Turning on his heels, Rodwen limped off.

A few hours after Rodwen had left, Glorfindel discovered Cal sitting on her floor next to the dying fire in her hearth; tear stains marred her face. "Cal?" he called out to her softly.

"I have been called many things before, but that…" Calaerneth could not finish speaking before she began to sob once more. Glorfindel lowered himself to the floor next to her and took her into his arms as she wept into his chest.

"It will be alright, Cal. I promise."

It has to be, he thought to himself.


End file.
